Rehab
by SamAP
Summary: I finally get my baby, my family, and my man back, so what do you think happens? Megatron goes ahead and ruins it all over again! Can nothing good ever happen to me? Part of my TF Storyline. OP/OC Meg/OC
1. Kidnapped

_ Yay! Le sequel to le sequel is here! Just for your information, this has almost no parts that tie in with the movie, it IS in relation to my story-line but it's just in the middle of RotF and DotM. The lay out of this story will be a bit different so **Please read this!** Whenever the chapter's title has a **Pt. 2** next to it, that means the POV is changing to Optimus instead of Nova and it will play out from the beginning of the story. (You'll understand later). Also, since this is a new and unique type of story, I will start something new. I will respond to everyone's comments, no matter how late you post them and even when this story is done._

**_Alter Ego: _**_Yes! Let's read this bad boy! **P.S. She doesn't own anything! P.P.S. Please read the bottom, it is not a waste of time!**_

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><p><strong>(Nova's POV)<strong>

I awoke to a pair of soft lips sweetly nibbling my neck. My lids groggily opened. I looked around the room, memory settling in. Right after my water had broke in Egypt, I was rushed over to America. Bonnie was born on the plane and she came out with a smile on her face, unlike other newborns in general. Now, I was located in a hospital, not far from base.

"Good morning, dearest," Optimus boomed down at me. I sighed as my optics fluttered closed once more.

"Have you talked to my new father?" I asked in hopes that all went well. Jetfire was supposed to have given Optimus 'The Talk.' My optics opened with an eyebrow quirked when his momentary pause ran a little long.

"To your wishes, I have," he tried to fix a smile, but I knew better than to base emotions solely on appearance.

"How did it go?" I ask skeptically, getting up a little. He looks at me nervously while scratching his neck.

"Well, it—um, went better than most?"

"What happened?" I coo with concern as I lay a hand on his cheek.

"Um, to start, he scolded me on not bonding properly, and then his violent outbursts made him break a gasket. After fixing him up, he complained about my lack of respect for you, which I did my best to expel the image in his mind. Overall, he begrudgingly gave a blessing, although, I'm pretty sure he hates me," he awkwardly stumbled through. I gave a silent laugh as I pulled him into a hug.

"Don't worry, all adairs do that. One day, you're going to have to talk to whoever Bonnie wants to mate with," I saw him pale a little from the thought. "But that's years from now," I try to recover. "What you need to worry about for now is when exactly I am leaving this place."

"I spoke with the doctor earlier. He said that, considering you need 'special' incubation, we'll have to transfer you out later today, but that just means you'll have to lie down in the med bay," he confided, stroking my arm, knowing how desperately I wanted to move around freely already.

"Aw, can't you do something about that?" I whined with a pout. He chuckled at me.

"Okay, fine. I'll speed up time, and you know, while I'm at it, I'll reverse the rotation of the Earth, too," he said sarcastically.

"Good, I'll expect results in two minutes," I joined in with his joke.

"Oh, come on. Don't you want to rest, just a little bit? There's no way in Pit you can be so active already." The sound of the swear word turned my soft smile into wide eyed frown.

"Optimus! Do not swear in front of the baby!" I scolded quietly. He quickly realized his mistake and put a hand over his mouth.

"Apologies. I guess I should warn the others about the use of their language as well." I nodded with complete seriousness.

"Yes, my first act as a mommy is to rid the base of potty-mouths. That goes for human swears as well." I fold my arms and stick my nose in the air. My stomach grumbled slightly and I had just remembered that I haven't eaten anything solid for the past two days.

"Sounds like someone is in need of some food." Optimus took notice of my stomachs's cries. "Shall it be energon or human food?"

"Human food!" I gasped without hesitation. "I need my pasta, stat!" Ever since landing on Earth, I had come to enjoy noodles, whatever shape, size, or country of origin.

"As you wish, my darling," he said sweetly as he kissed my forehead and went out the door. I sighed in content as I nestled back into my bed, resting for a few minutes. The ring around my spark had started glowing faintly through my chest because of the happiness I was feeling. I peeked open an optic open to the little glory sleeping next to me.

"Do you know how much pain you put me through?" I talked to her with a cheery yet sleepy tone. "But, you need to know that you are so worth it. You've only been alive for not even a day and already you have a fan club waiting for you."

"She's not the only one who has someone waiting for her," an evil voice rasped on my other side. I turn my head to the source and sat up quickly in my seat. The faint glow in my chest, now turned into a bright beam from the danger I sensed, but it was almost unnoticeable under my hospital gown. How Optimus doesn't feel this through the semi-bond we have is beyond me.

"You," I whisper. "What do you want?" I've never seen this man before in my life, but I can tell exactly who it is by the voice and the red tinted eyes. _Megatron._

"I told you what I wanted in our last encounter," he starts creeping up to me. I must've looked confused because he started to explain. "I need you for Plan B."

"There's no way I'm going to help you with anything," I spat angrily. He just chuckled at me.

"Of course you'll help me. You want your precious baby to live, don't you?" I saw his holoform disappear and turn up next to Bonnie. He picked her up from her small glass crib. The sight of him touching my child was horrifying. I felt chills down every part of me and wanted to strangle him so bad, but I was still weak. He saw me tense up. "Ah, so you will help me."

"If you promise to put her down and never touch her again," I gritted through my teeth. He looked amused and put her down willingly. I was a bit surprised that he didn't put up a fight.

"Good, you're cooperating. Don't you even think about contacting your Auto-scum, or else poor little Bonnie here is going to pay for your mistake." He pulled something from behind him and threw it at me. "Put these on, you're going to have to check out a little earlier than planned."

I take a look at the clothes he tossed me: undergarments, a simple pair of shorts, a flimsy white tank top, a thin jacket, and a pair of rubber shoes. I bitterly climbed out of my bed, using a nearby table to balance myself. It felt horrible to not be able to do anything about this, but then, I saw a pad of paper and a pen right next to my hand and an idea sprung in my head. I 'accidently' tossed it off the table and bent down to pick it up. I heard Megatron groan as I stalled. I grabbed the pen and quickly scribbled down selected words.

_Megatron took me at 8:47 A.M. _

_Trace my heat signature._

_Keep Bonnie safe._

I silently tore off that piece of paper and wedged it in the crack of the drawer so Optimus would see it, but not Megatron.

"Hurry up, flesh-hugger. The longer you take, the more danger your child will be in," he grunted out impatiently. I stood up and slipped my panties on first, not wanting him to see more than he should. I faced the door, my back facing him, so that I could put on my bra without revealing anything. I looked down at myself and gasped.

"What? What's wrong?" he said with a surprisingly concerned tone as he neared me. Well, as concerned as Megatron could sound.

"Huh? Oh, nothing, I just saw that I didn't have any stretch marks." Again, he surprised me by laughing shortly. Not an evil, mocking laugh, but a soft and joyful laugh.

As I slip on my shoes he walks up behind me and gently guides me out the door with a hand on my back. I'd expect something gruffer like, grabbing my wrists or, guiding me with a clenched hand on my neck. We made our way down to the front desk and he put some more pressure on my back as we started talking to the desk clerk. It was his way of saying 'Don't say anything'. I was looking around, trying to spot an Autobot holoform, but mysteriously enough, there were none. They must've gone out for breakfast or something. _Perfect._ Now that I think about it, nobody was down here, except the receptionist.

"Take a seat and don't move. I have some business to handle," he whispered in my ear. I nodded and sat down in a chair behind him. I felt so useless. I couldn't fight, I couldn't scream for help, and no doubt he has the place surrounded.

A few minutes later he turned to me and motioned for me to follow him outside. As suspected, his alt. form was there, waiting for me. I saw Starscream inside, brooding as usual. Newfound aggression took over Megatron as he forced me into the car.

"Shall I signal the others to take down the hospital, Master?" he hissed. My spark skipped a beat or two and I stiffened in my seat, unintentionally clutching the leather almost painfully.

"No, you idiot! That will attract unnecessary attention," the leader grumbled. I could tell that that wasn't the real reason why he didn't want to attack the hospital. He may have felt my uneasiness of the idea via my torturous fingernails.

"S-sorry, sir, forgive me. Please," Starscream groveled, yet it was obvious he detested it.

"Perhaps, if all goes according to plan." I could see the scowl of disgust on Starscream's face from the mirror. He really didn't like Megatron.

"Um, if I may interject?" I spoke up softly. "What exactly is this plan that you guys have been talking about?" I earned a stinging slap from Starscream.

"SILENCE, TRAITOR! You are not worthy of the truth!" he screeched as I grabbed my face. I saw small smears of blood on my hand.

"Starscream! You fool! Do not strike her, there is too much potential at risk!" Megatron scolded, smacking Starscream in the back of the head. "Are you okay?" he asked me as sweetly as he would dare in front of his subordinate through the rearview mirror.

"Just a small scratch," I nodded and revealed my cheek. I lied, it wasn't a small scratch. It was three long, thin streaks covering my entire cheek. He saw it through the mirror and anger took over his face once more.

"Drive, Starscream," he muttered as his holoform appeared next to me. He gently turned my head to inspect the wound. Normally, I would cringe at his touch, but I could tell he was trying so hard to not hurt me. "It's going to be fine; I just need to sterilize it." He scanned me, cleaning away any foreign toxins and he taped some gauze on it, to help stop the bleeding. I felt awkward, not knowing if I should act grateful or hold up my grudge. Instead, I just stared at him with scared optics, scooting towards the door as far as I could when he finally drop his contact with my skin. A look of disappointment and grief spread across his face. _What did he have to be so sad about?_

"So, um, at the expense of me getting hurt again," I started, "can I please know what exactly is going to happen to me?" Megatron shook his head but quickly stole a glance towards Starscream. He mouthed 'Later' when he saw Starscream wasn't looking. Megatron reclaimed his place at the driver's seat and I fell asleep, thinking back to earlier this morning when I wished that I could get out of the hospital already. _Whoever said 'Be careful what you wish for' wasn't lying._

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><p>Sometime during the drive, I had woken up. It appeared to be nightfall as I cracked open my optics just a little but I didn't open them all the way because the two were talking.<p>

"My lord, it would be wise to colonize as soon as possible. Waiting for her to regain her memory is highly improbable, and not to mention a waste of ti-."

"You typical fool! Don't you think I would know that? I have a plan, idiot," Megatron grunted.

"Yes, master, all I am saying is that time is of the essence," he pleaded in his creepy, raspy way. Megatron sighed deeply.

"Don't worry, I won't exceed a week. I promise that," he said dejectedly. _What did they need me so much for that it's going to take a week?_ My mind raced over to all the torture I might go through. I eventually found sleep once more, but it wasn't a pleasant one.

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><p>"Hey, get up. We're here," I woke up to a gentle hand shaking me. I opened my optics, expecting to see my family, but frowned internally when I saw Megatron's face. I looked outside and it looked as if it might be 5 or 6 in the morning.<p>

"Where exactly is here?" I asked as I straightened up. As I scanned the area, I could conclude that it was a small vista.

"I'm not at liberty to tell," was all he said as he guided me down his alt. form. I don't know why, but Megatron seemed different when it was just us two. As if he let some sort of guard down around me.

He led me to my part of the vista. It was considerably pleasant. There was a clean kitchen that separated itself from the living/dining room with an island. I saw a door to my left which I guessed was my room. Not what I would consider as a Decepticon hideout. We stepped inside and he sat me down on the couch.

"Hungry?" he asked. I nodded skeptically, half expecting it to be a trick question. Instead, he put in two pieces of bread into a toaster and brought out a small jar of Nutella. Besides pasta, chocolate was my second favorite food. Even back on Cybertron. Except over there, it wasn't known as chocolate. He walked over towards me and handed me the plate, accompanied by a glass of milk. Although I was starving, I managed to control myself to not look like an animal that hasn't eaten in days. Our optics met and I finally worked up the nerve to ask him again.

"Can I please know what I'm doing here?" I pleaded with a pout and puppy-dog eyes. He was thinking of how to tell me everything without actually telling me anything at all. I know because I've done my share of that before.

"Well… there's something that you need to know and I'm trying to help you learn that. It could help… save…. our race as we know it," he pieced together carefully. His word choice worked perfectly. I don't know how or why, but I didn't question his motives. In fact, I think I even subconsciously agreed. "I'm sorry, but I need to do this," he clipped a thick metallic bracelet on me. _Wait, did he just apologize to me?_

"Um, what's this for?" I observed the bangle on my hand. It was covered with glyphs that glowed red.

"It's one of the Decepticons newest creations,but it's still in beta mode. It disables your ability to shift into your bi-pedal mode, it tracks you, and it also prevents you from escaping the vista," he said, almost regretfully. I stood up from my seat and backed up, trying my hardest to break the thing off of me. My spark was now glowing again, and Megatron noticed it through my flimsy garments.

"No! Get it off!" I tripped backwards, still fumbling the thing off me, but every time I strained, it got tighter and tighter. It started cutting into my wrists.

"Wait, stop!" he growled habitually yet unintentionally, dashing towards my collapsed body and wrapping his arms around me. Megatron separated my hands from each other. "If you do that, it's going to squeeze you to death, literally," he sounded seriously concerned. _Why is he showing me his good side, which, by the way, I never knew he had._ I felt him place his hand on my wrist and started loosening it slightly so I could move around without it harming me. My heart beat started to slow down and I huddled up in the corner of the room and started crying.

"I want to go home. Can you please just leave me alone?" I whimpered. He sighed and crawled up next to me, rubbing my back. He placed a finger to the part of my ear which calmed me down. I stiffened a little. _How did he know that he could calm me down by putting a finger there?_

"Why don't you take a bath? It'll relieve some of your stress," he hummed quietly. I sniffled and nodded my head. "There is a change of clothes in the drawers of your room. I'll be waiting in the garden if you decide to come out." He waited for me to stand up before doing so himself. I traveled to the brown door and closed it silently behind me. _What have I done to get myself in this mess?_

I took a deep breath before stepping into the bathroom. There was an assortment of bath soaps that happened to be what I always loved back on Cybertron. I didn't even know Earth was capable of holding these scents. My bath was drawn quickly and I dipped myself in the lukewarm water. I had put my hair up because I didn't want it to get wet. I spotted a soft loufah and scrubbed away the grit and grime of the past few days.

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><p><strong>(Megatron's POV)<strong>

I waited outside for her, thinking over and over how exactly I was supposed to jog her memory. I told Starscream that everything was thought out, but to be honest, I was just winging it. I relied on justice and true love, which was something I had never done before. _What did I get myself into?_

"Megatron?" she piped up from behind me. I turned around and gasped internally. She was wearing a thin long sleeve shirt that fit around her curves, paired with shorts. It may have been simple, but thanks to that, it took away the distractions and showed me the natural beauty she held. I could feel her nervousness, especially because she draped her arms around herself, as if she was hiding from me. I was caught in a gaze and Nova had to snap me out of it.

"Uh-um, sorry, I was just… thinking," I lied hopelessly. Before she could speak up again, I gestured to the rest of the garden, knowing how much Nova loved all creation, no matter how small. I never knew what was so special about inferior life, but seeing her happy was all that mattered. I heard a gasp as she stepped up to the small swarm of butterflies that just happen to flutter by. The smile on her face was nothing compared to the smiles she and I used to share, but the femme didn't remember any of that. I could just hope she did. Her smile fell quickly and she turned towards me defensively.

"Why did you bring me here?" Nova snapped, as if she were in a trap. My optics widened, fearful that I might have been scaring her off.

"I-I just thought you would want to see this. It is, after all, your favorite setting," I should've stopped after my first sentence.

"How did you know that?" the now jittery woman uttered, getting worried faster than the speed of light. I had to cover up my mistake with a lie.

"It was a guess," I blurted out monotonously. She eyed me cautiously but a vividly colored bird had landed near her, distracting the doubts in her mind. I sent that bird my thanks. Maybe inferior life wasn't so bad after all.

The garden we were in spiraled inside itself and was covered by frames that had vines connecting each frame to the other. Basically, it was a huge curved hallway that had greenery for walls. I stepped up behind her and held out an arm.

"Would you like to see the rest of the garden?" She looked from me to my extended arm. I could tell she was confused from my acts of kindness, but all would be revealed in time. I smiled at her sweetly—though it probably ended up looking too forced, considering I haven't been "sweet" in a long time—but she didn't return it. On the bright side, she did take a hold of my hand. _Wait, when have I ever thought about the bright side?_

"I don't know what you're doing, but I'm too tired to worry about my consequences," she let out exasperatedly. I gave a light-hearted chuckle as I led her to the center of the garden. "Don't hit me for saying this, but I never knew someone as cruel as you could be capable of such kindness." I was taken aback from her comment.

"What makes you think I'm cruel?" I slapped myself mentally because I had forgotten the fact that her memory was wiped.

"Um… for starters, you tried to claim dictatorship over all of the Earth, killed Optimus, and tried to explode the humans' sun," she said with a hint of bitterness. I scoffed at her.

"You say it like it's a bad thing." She almost choked when I said that. "That's not what I meant!" I put up my free hand defensively. "If you looked at it through my perspective, you would have done everything I have." She stopped walking and looked at me with an 'Oh really?' look. "Okay, think about it like this. You are forced to be a leader of something that has already spun out of control and in your attempts to save civilization, a bunch of Cybertronians tried to stop you because of one little sacrifice you had to make, which is the entire human race."

"Wait." She stopped in front of me, laying a hand to my chest. "You were _forced_ to be the leader of the Decepticons?" I was hoping she wouldn't pick that up.

"Well, in a way, yes. You see, our previous leader had to point someone as his successor, and since all other candidates were… killed… I was chosen. To be honest, I never really wanted to do it, but I had no choice." We start walking again and she was very engulfed with my story. As she spoke, she voluntarily grabbed onto my arm again. _Yep, that's the old Nova I remembered._

"Megatron, everybody has a choice," she spoke sincerely.

"My other choice was death." That shut her up. "But, at least being in control has given me the liberty of trying to make this war as civil as I can. Unfortunately, the pressure—along what I've seen and done—… changed me." I felt something choking my throat as I tried to continue with my story. It was an odd sensation; I had never felt it before. Except the time I had to erase Nova's memory. She felt my pain and had tightened her grip on my arm. I know it must have been an out-of-habit move, but it still made me feel like she remembered her past a little bit more.

When we reached the center, I heard her gasp once again. It was circular and had a dome like vine wrapping as a roof. In the middle was a single cement table with cement benches on either side. A few bird perches were spread along the sides of the small sanctuary. In between each perch was a body-length stained-glass window.

"This place is beautiful." She let go of my arm and took a few steps forward. I saw her spark glowing. Optimus must have marked her already.

"Almost as beautiful as you," I muttered absently. I stiffened my shoulders and looked away as she turned and glared at me.

"What did you say?" she said, backing up and resuming her position of shielding herself. Her glow died down.

"I said it's got a beautiful view," I lied quickly. She bought it easily and I thanked Primus for that. A smile gracefully fixed itself on her glowing face.

"Where is it?" she asked playfully. I pointed over to a ladder that led to a square sized hole on top. She climbed it and I followed afterwards, arriving at a small balcony.

"It looks better at sunset. I'll take you back here later if you want," I smiled at her joy but when she turned to me, the positivity turned to confusion.

"W-why are you doing all this?" she squeaked. I wanted her to figure out on her own. It might make it easier for all of us.

"I just wanted you to warm up to your situation. Torture is useless and wasteful."

"What about that time you tortured Sam?" I saw her cross her arms and shift her weight onto one leg. There is so much she has forgotten about me.

"Call me a coward, but it was all peer pressure. I have an image to keep up and if I show a sign of weakness, my empire might fall, and you know what that means."

"If peer pressure can affect you easily, then your empire has already fallen. Don't you think if you could just have a peaceful talk with the Autobots, this war could end very easily?"

"What do you think I'm doing right now?" She looked a bit embarrassed and cleared her throat. I smiled softly at her. "Come on, let's go back down. I packed a lunch." I saw a nod as I started climbing the ladder. She was a few steps down and I held her waist to help her out. She paused and hesitated as she looked at me skeptically. "What? I'm helping you," I said with a soft chuckle. She let me put her down but never let her guard up. We set up the small table there and we eat lunch in silence.

"How do you know so much about me?" she asks out-of-the-blue.

"I'm just taking wild guesses," I reused my lie.

"There's no way you could have guessed all of my favorite things."

"Yes, I can."

"Stop lying," she whined childishly. I let a chuckle escape.

"May I tell you something?" I change the subject. She nodded her head in defeat that she wouldn't get an answer. "I think I have smiled and laughed more today than I have my whole life." This comment made her pick up her attitude a little bit and she put on a bashful face.

"Can _I_ tell _you_ something?" I nodded silently. "You're not how I thought you would be."

"How so?"

"I'd never expect you to be the type of person who would do such kind things for me."

"Isn't it in the principles of an Autobot to give a person at least one chance to explain themselves?"

"Maybe," she said slyly. I saw her spark glowing slightly again, and the thought of Optimus getting his grimy hands all over her before I could've made me shudder. "What's wrong?" she asked innocently.

"Oh, nothing, it's just…" I had a small battle within myself, wondering if I should bring this topic up. "How could you fall for a mech like Prime? He's so naïve."

"You mean like me?" Anger started to peek into her tone.

"There's a big difference though. You have hopes that you achieve, but he has dreams that he lets other people run over. And another thing, he's very egotistical," I said snootily.

"Um, yeah, right," she said with sarcasm.

"Oh, come on. Your love for him has made you blind. Don't you see him bossing people around, not even succeeding in his own work?" Right now, I was making any excuse that would make me sound better than him.

"Are you sure you're describing Optimus, or yourself?" _Ouch, that hurt._ She 'hmph-ed' in triumph as I hung my head slightly in defeat. "Megatron, there is only one difference between you two. Optimus has the courage to step up for what's right. Sure, he may not have chosen the smartest or easiest move, but it's that move that keeps us all faithful to our choices. Being the good guy isn't easy, but Optimus is making it look as if it were. And that's where you're wrong. He's not weak. So don't think for a second that he is." Our conversation was turning around negatively, so for the rest of the time, I was trying to liven up her mood.

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><p>After our lunch, I led her back to her room and I headed towards my own, but was stopped by Starscream. A scowl instantly appeared on my face.<p>

"What do you want?" I spat bitterly.

"Master, I couldn't help but notice that you have taken a small afternoon stroll with the traitor," he hissed in his usual way.

"Don't you dare call her that!" I growled, "And stop worrying about what I am doing. I have my methods, fool. I just need time."

"Y-yes, I know that, sir. I was just wondering what exactly those methods are."

"If you must know, I am recreating her memories. She might remember a thing or two."

"Is that really rational? I'm pretty sure that once a memory's gone, it cannot be retrieved."

"Has that ever been proved?" He shook his head hesitantly. "Then, I shall go on with my experiment. You were a scientist once, you should be familiar with what I'm saying."

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><p><strong>(Nova's POV)<strong>

I had a feeling that my day is going to be as good as it gets. But I still didn't feel safe. Megatron had been showing me complete kindness, and for some reason, I feel used to it, like it's all happened before. So far, my entire day has been a huge episode of déjà vu. I started a list of things that he 'guessed' about me.

_My favorite sweets_

_My favorite scents_

_My favorite atmosphere_

_The spot on my ear that calms me down_

I don't know if I can trust him. He's been feeding me these sap stories of how he had been forced to do all these horrible things and how he desperately wants it all to change, but I can't tell if he's lying or just scared. He keeps avoiding my question whenever I ask what I'm doing here, which makes him look all the more suspicious. I just hope Optimus finds me soon. _The bracelet can't cover up my heat signature, could it?_

I walked around my living quarters, trying to figure a way out, or a plan to help the others find me quicker, but my mind kept wandering to last night, when I had overheard them talking. Megatron had said that they couldn't colonize until I had regained my memory. _Memory of what?_ The only thing that had been erased from me was the memory of my parents and the memory of the ability to transform into anything else but a human. Of course, I wouldn't be able to know if any other memories have been erased because… well… I wouldn't remember it. My train of thought had been interrupted when I heard a knock on my door. I looked around and when no one was present, I turned my head downwards and saw a Nokia phone with a note attached to it.

_Thought you might want some company._

_Found him a few years ago and he said he knew you._

_Connect him to your bracelet to wake him up from_

_stasis lock._

_~Megatron._

I did as the note said and touched the phone with my bracelet. It started vibrating and I put it down on the island in the kitchen. In a few seconds, a small insection popped out from the phone. He looked vaguely familiar.

"Jeffy?" I asked, remembering him from the time I first saw the Allspark up close. He nodded his head up and down and chirped playfully, recognizing my voice. "Oh, Jeffy it is you! I thought you died!" I gave him as best a hug as I could, but I just ended up squishing him up to my face. _So this is how it feels when I hug Optimus when he's in bi-pedal mode._ He noticed the wound on my cheek and gently traced around it with a worried chirp. "Oh, that. It's nothing, don't worry about it." I saw how weak he was. His balance was off a little and his optics would dim every now and then. "Aw, you look hungry," I cooed, "When was the last time you ate?" he rolled over in my hand and pretended to play dead. "Yikes, let's go find you some food."

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><p><em> I hope you guys liked it! Review traffic has slowed down quite a lot so I'm going to have to give you guys motivation. <strong>2 reviews or 2 favoritesalerts! **Until either are accomplished, you must wait in pain until you get to read about how Optimus had gone through the same day in the next chapter. Mwauhahaha!_

**_~Don't be a stranger ;D_**


	2. Kidnapped Pt 2

_Here's the new chapter in Optimus' POV! Thanks for your quick reviews and favorite/alerts. I love you all... so, so much. **Please read the bottom for new goals and replies to your comments!**_

**_Alter Ego#3: _**_Creep._

**_Me: _**_I'm no creep! Starscream is a creep._

**_Alter Ego#3: _**_Please, he's a crepe compared to you._

**_Me: _**_Nice pun._

**_Alter Ego#3: _**_You shouldn't speak, especially because **You don't own anything.**_

**_Me: _**_Jerk._

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><p><strong>(Optimus' POV)<strong>

The nurse had told me that I shouldn't wake up Nova when she was sleeping. She needed as much rest as she could get. I, on the other hand, was pacing restlessly around the waiting room. Everyone was obviously as tense as I was because if they weren't pacing, they were watching me pace.

"Okay, Optimus, I love her, too, but seriously, stop walking around so much. I'm getting dizzy," Jazz said as he stood up and stopped me with a hand on my shoulder.

"I-I just… I mean—she's in there, and… you know, I can't—I can't be with her. It's just so—" He paused me in my stuttering.

"She's resting. As in, she's going to be fine," he enunciated clearly so I wouldn't misinterpret anything. "Why don't you talk to Jetfire? You know how she's always asking you to earn a blessing from him. Take some stress off her shoulders." He raised an eyebrow and gave me a look that said "Do it, stupid!"

"Y-you're right. I need to clear this out of the way as soon as I can," I breathed out. A quick scan of the room revealed the grandparents huddled in a corner, sharing war stories. The Satou's still didn't know what we are and I'm glad Jetfire hasn't said anything to give us away… yet. Feeling slightly awkward between them, I cleared my throat for their attention.

"Ah, it's the man of the hour! Prime, himself. Sit down, son," Jetfire said with a relatively hearty tone.

"Um, actually, I needed a private word with you, sir. If I may," I said professionally.

"Oh, of course. If you two will excuse me," he nodded to the Satou's. They nodded back and we stepped over to an empty part of the room.

"So, sir—"

"Please, you may call me Jetfire! You are, after all, the father of my grandchild," he boasted.

"Yeah, about that. That's actually what I wanted to speak with you about." I took a deep breath before I mumbled the next part, "I'm not the father."

"Speak up, boy. My audio processor isn't as good as it used to be," he coughed, leaning an ear towards me.

"I'm… not the father," I said awkwardly and braced myself for what might come next. But, unexpectedly, he started laughing.

"A sense of humor, this one," he guffawed. But then his optics turned deadly as they shot towards me, "Because if _you_ are not the happy father, _I'm_ not going to be a happy father, either." I was stuck and didn't know what to say. Cold sweat began dripping down my neck. Turns out I didn't need to say anything at all, because Jetfire had taken over the conversation, as well as attract the attention of everyone there. "You blubbering idiot! You have the nerve to take my daughter away from someone who had already bonded with her?" he spat in my face.

"No, it is not like that at all. See, the human she was with—"

"You let her bond with a human?" I saw Jazz stand up, ready to demobilize the ancient mech if needed. "Why I ought to teach you a lesson you'd never forget! My daughter needs someone who can actually bond correctly!" Jetfire stumbled backwards a little from the force of his speech.

"Sir, I have to ask you to calm down. Your alt-form is out of range, so if your holoform disappears now, you will have to walk all the way back to the hospital," Jazz intervenes calmly.

"Get your hands off of me. I know what I'm doing," he grumbled angrily. "You," he addressed me now, "How dare you show a lack of respect for my daughter."

"Sir, with all honesty, I respect and love your daughter with every fiber of my being. You don't know how much pain I go through just to make sure she's as safe and comfortable as she can be," I say sternly. This man didn't know half the slag I go through to keep her perfectly guarded and unscathed.

"Idiot, of course I do, I'm her father," he scoffed.

"So where were you when she needed your help?" I asked, making sure he felt bad about leaving her and her mother as painfully as he did. He stood up to me and poked a finger to my chest.

"You've got guts, Prime. That's a good quality. You're lucky that she chose you," he said with a strong smile, but it quickly turned bitter. "But, listen to me; if you hurt her, or ever question my methods again… you'll feel more than pain." It was a hollow threat, but I still took it in seriously.

"Way to go. That's a perfect way to start your relationship with her dad," Jazz chuckled sarcastically.

"It was easier when I had Prowl talk to people for me," I sighed.

"Aw, someone miss their secretary?" Jazz mocked.

"Hey, you try leading an entire army and have all your friends and family's life in danger without help."

"Sounds easy enough," he joked. I rolled my optics and walked away from his snickers. I ended up at the receptionist's desk and I heard her sigh as I neared her.

"Sir, she is _still_ asleep. I'm afraid I can't let you see her just yet," she guessed an answer.

"Please, miss. Just let me in for a little while. She's a military mother, she wakes up this early. Just trust me," I beg, pleading with my optics. She sighs again and gives me a feeble smile.

"Fine, you got half an hour." She gestured towards the elevators, where Nova's room was. I gave her a silent thanks and tried to control myself from running to the steel doors.

When I arrived in her room, it was apparent that she was still asleep. I knew I would feel bad if she was disturbed her from her peace, so I did the next best thing. Played with Bonnie.

The small child was squirming about slightly and I picked her up, cooing at her quietly. She gave one of her famous smiles and I could've sworn my spark melted. Eyes opened briefly, and I was a little shocked that I hadn't noticed it earlier. Instead of having brown eyes, as genetics would explain, she had bright blue eyes that tapered out purple. The image was so crisp that it was almost unbelievable.

"Well, would you look at that, you have your mothers eyes," I spoke softly and poked at her belly. She smirked and for a split second, I'm pretty sure I saw a glow of blue under her chest. "You will never cease to amaze me." I'm going to have Ratchet take a look at her when we get back. Her wriggling died down and she fell into another peaceful slumber just as the other femme had started stirring. I laid Bonnie down and sat in a seat that was close to the bed.

"Nova," I said with a hint of sing-songy-ness. A hum came from her and I assumed the position of waking her up.

**(A/N: I skipped the talk they had because you already read it in the previous chapter.)**

* * *

><p>As I left to get her some breakfast from the diner across the street, the humans were encouraged to tag along. Robert, Mizuki, the Satou's, Sam, and Mikaela came with me. After ordering, we all sat at a large, round table and waited for the waiter to bring us our food.<p>

"Please, forgive me, but once the food comes, I need to go. I'm ordering for Nova," I state.

"Oh, of course, no problem," Mikaela answers. "How is she, anyway? Are the two of them doing all right?" she asked, trying to find a topic to discuss.

"Yes, they are. Bonnie had opened her eyes today."

The women of the group had "Aw'd."

"It was a mix of blue on the inside and purple on the outside."

"That's interesting," Sam spoke up, but he bore a worried look. I understood that he wanted to talk to me and gave a small nod, so I wouldn't alert anyone if there was danger.

"Would, you please excuse me, I have something I must check on," I say to get out of the table.

"Yeah, I um, need to use the bathroom," Sam says ungracefully, dashing out of his seat once the words came through. We headed outside to the front of the diner in order to discuss.

"What's wrong?" I ask him once I know that the others can't see us through the glass.

"Optimus, think about it. Her mom has deep purple eyes and her birth-father has light brown eyes. How is it possible that she has bright blue eyes?" I was about to correct him but he waved me off. "Yes, I know, half of it is purple, but still." I sighed and thought deeply about this. _What happened?_

"You know, there is another thing," I snap him from his deep thinking. "When I held her, I think I saw a blue glow from her chest. It didn't last long and was pretty faint, so I'm not even sure it was really there, but… I am uncertain."

"We're going to have to call Ratchet," he says, taking out his phone. Ratchet was still at base, along with the rest of the Autobots and Lennox. I stopped him as he was about to dial a number.

"Later, we can't do that now. It might raise suspicion." He nods at me and we start walking back in. "Wait, you might want to come up with a better excuse than, 'You had to go to the bathroom.'"

"Why?" he asks, letting up from the door handle.

"We've been talking for quite a while out here. You have an image to keep up right?" He seems confused as I walk back in, but finally catches on.

At the table, I blank out of their conversations, thinking about what could've happened to Bonnie. Apparently, I've been thinking for a long time because when the food finally came, two hours had passed.

"Sorry for the delay," the waitress huffed as politely as she could. "But since we're the only diner for miles and we're surrounded by a hospital and three big-named businesses… let's just say the mornings can get a bit backed up."

"I'll say, two hours to get food," Epps mumbles. I nudge him, telling him to stop being so rude.

"It's fine, miss. It's these little things that can bring people together. So many others take it for granted," I advice the young woman. I saw her frame pick up and she looked grateful towards me.

"Thank you for your understanding. So, are you the one with the take-out order?" she chirps with a newfound spirit. I nod my head and she hands me a brown paper bag.

"If I may be excused…" I tell my company as I leave the place. As soon as my foot steps into the hospital, Bumblebee approaches me and almost frightens the food out of my hand.

"Can I go up with you?" he pants out. I'm guessing he ran across the room when he saw me coming. His optics were wild and it was apparent that he desperately wanted to see his sister.

"If the blond kid is going, then I'm coming, too," Jetfire grumbled.

"Of course, but she's still sleeping, so I think it'd be best if we were a bit quieter." I got a nod from Bumblebee and a grunt from Jetfire.

As we traveled down the hallway to her room, something instantly felt out of place. Her door was wide open. My pace slightly picks up and the food in my hand drops as I realized something was missing. Nova. Her hospital gown was on the floor and her bed sheets revealed that she had left the premises. I scanned the area, seeing no signs of a struggle. Bonnie was also spotted, wriggling in her rightful spot. _At least she didn't leave._ When the other two finally caught up with me, they noticed it, too.

"Where's Nova?" Bumblebee asked innocently. No answer came from me as I ran up to my child and made sure she was all right.

"Oh, thank Primus," I whispered to myself. She felt my distress and started choking up in my arms. My fingers instinctually rubbed her stomach gently to calm her down.

"What happened to my daughter, Prime?" Jetfire asked accusingly. I was about to answer when something caught my optic. There was a piece of paper wedged into the drawer with my name on it. "Answer me, mech," Jetfire huffed.

"Please be patient," I said with little patience in my own voice. I handed him Bonnie so he would calm down a little bit. When I grabbed the letter, my spark skipped a beat.

_Megatron took me at 8:47 A.M._

_Trace my heat signature._

_Keep Bonnie safe._

My optics darted towards the clock, 11:03. That was roughly three hours ago. _That fragging glitch took her, just like that. Just when we were starting to finally get problems resolved. I'm going to kill him, again._ Apparently my rage was too much to be contained inside myself because I had snapped the edge of the drawer that had the displeasure of housing my grip. I stood up straight and pounded a fist onto it, which resulted in a hole appearing there. Bumblebee stood slightly in front of both Jetfire and Bonnie, fearing I might do something unreasonable. _Now's not the time to explode with violence. I need to channel that into productivity. _And in that instant, Military Mode clicked into place.

"Jetfire, stay here with Bonnie until we get clearance to take her out. Bumblebee, take everyone back to the base. When we get the clearance, I want you to keep Bonnie with Ratchet and Ironhide at all times. Alert all immediate soldiers to get over here." I started walking out the door. "That means Lennox, too. I want Ratchet to trace Nova's heat signature and get someone to check the surveillance cameras in this place."

"Um, sure, but, can you tell me exactly why?" he asked as he struggled to keep up with my pace.

"Megatron took Nova," I say with a hint of bitterness. I expected Bumblebee to freak out a little, but he kept his composure. He knew that know wasn't the right time for delays.

We walked up to the front desk and my hands slammed down in front of the receptionist. She was startled and jumped in her seat.

"Can I help you, sir?" she asked with a shaky voice.

"Where is your patient, Nova Marx?" I tried as best I could to keep myself calm. She stiffened at the mentioning of the name.

"S-she's in room 20—"

"You know what I mean," I tell her, trying to figure out the truth from her eyes. She clammed up, shaking her head slightly. It becomes clear to me that she has been threatened.

"If you are in danger, cough twice," Bumblebee takes over in a low tone. Obviously, he had the same train of thought as mine. We waited calmly for the receptionist's response.

She coughed twice.

"Bumblebee," I straighten up and turn to the emotionless mech next to me. "Take her to base as well. She's being watched so be careful." I turn back to the lady, "Miss, if you would be so kind as to follow him. We'll keep you safe." She was on the verge of crying as she nodded and stepped around the desk. I com-linked Ratchet, telling him our dilemma. So far, only Ratchet and I have been established internal com-links, but only because we had just got a shipment of them and the process took a long time to install. If only Nova had one right now.

::Ratchet. Come in,:: I said as I stepped in the elevator, back to Nova's room.

::Here, Prime. What is it?:: He heard the worry in my voice and responded accordingly.

::You need to get here, A.S.A.P. Megatron has taken Nova about three hours ago. Bonnie is unharmed but I need you to check something out later.::

::On my way, Prime. Be there in a second.:: He wasn't kidding when he said he'd be here in a second. I had just turned a corner and out of nowhere, a tall, light brown haired man bumps in front of me.

"How'd you get here so fast?" I ask, rubbing my shoulder lightly.

"I upgraded my holoform's range. You never know when and where you're going to need a doctor," he said smugly. I couldn't argue with him there. "So what do you need?" he asked as we walked to the abandoned room. So, I guess Bonnie got cleared faster than what was expected.

"I need you to help trace Nova's heat signature. I know it's been three hours since she was here, but that's why you're helping me." Gesturing him to the inside of the room, he puts on a skeptical face as he scans it.

"I got a trace, but it's awfully faint. If you want to track her, you need to act fast," he said, following her tracks with his fingers.

"So what are we waiting for?"

"Backup." That was enough for me to hear. I let him lead the way as we end up back in the waiting room. "That's odd," Ratchet mumbled to himself.

"What's odd?" I say, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"There's no sign of struggle, at all. She's been doing all of this willingly," he said as he led outside. I scoffed at the thought that she would give herself up without as much as a good reason. "Wait, I spoke too soon." My beat spiked as I let my mind explore horrible scenarios.

"Is it bad? Was she hurt?" I crowded in on him, trying so hard to see what he saw.

"I don't know, maybe you should ask her, oh wait," he said sarcastically.

"Sorry," I mumbled.

"All I can tell is that she was pushed into a vehicle, because her tracks stop there. But, I could try to follow the cars signature. It's risky though. I'm not sure if I'm following the correct car," he squat down and judged each layer of tire tracks on the parking spot.

"The security cameras," I blurt out my idea, "we can check what the vehicle looked like. Maybe even get a license plate." He got up and mulled over my plan.

"That could work. But, we'd need to cross reference every camera there is if we want to rely on those to find Megatron," he starts rubbing his chin, deep in thought.

"We're an advanced species, we can make that happen," I say quickly.

"Yeah, try telling that to the humans," he scoffed, shaking his head.

"What do you mean?" I tilted my head slightly in confusion.

"You are so naïve," he insulted under his breath as he rubbed his forehead. "These people don't care who you are, unless they have clearance from a superior, there's no way those guards will let you in. And that's just the hospital, it's going to be twice as hard if we're going to have to cross reference every security camera within the area." We both knew he was right, but I wasn't about to give up.

"Ratchet, we can at least try. Don't lose hope. This happened once, we can get through this again." He raised an eyebrow, thinking deeply about my statement. I groaned and tried to convince him some more. "Ratchet! This is Nova we're talking about. The femme who has trusted you with her life more than once. The same femme who has just managed to give birth to a human! Frag, Ratch, without her, do you really think you'd be standing where you are right now?"

"No," he sighed. "Fine. I'm in. Happy?"

"Ecstatic. Rally up a group to help you out here, I'll work out some sort of clearance with the security." I dropped my holoform and started driving towards base. Lennox was meandering leisurely around the halls where I could see him. As quick as my body would allow, I knelt towards him.

"Hey big guy, how's Nova doing?" he craned his neck to look up at me despite my compromised height-position.

"She's been kidnapped," I say emotionlessly.

"Well, that was quick." He wasn't surprised at all. "What do you need?"

* * *

><p>We've been working all night trying to trace the heat signatures, but somehow, we keep getting off track. Our permission for access to the cameras is still being thought about. Sure, any able-bodied Autobot can hack into their coding and firewalls, but it's against our treaty. By now, everyone has heard the news, and they all knew that it would be wise to work out the stress instead of exploding with rage. My mind wandered to a silly thought of everyone screaming and yelling at the exact same time. The only people oblivious to the fact that Nova had gone missing were the grandparents. We decided that it wouldn't be a good idea making them agitated.<p>

Obviously, this was too much for me. I've been buried neck deep in problems everywhere and decided to take a walk outside. Just as I was about to get up, a small voice came from my door.

"Optimus?" Sam's voice echoed throughout my entire office. "I think we need to have Ratchet look at Bonnie now. Waiting might make things worse."

He was right. This can't be put off any longer. With a nod, I contacted Ratchet.

::Ratchet, how far have you gotten?::

::Not far unfortunately. We tried splitting into smaller groups, but everyone keeps finding a dead end.::

::Let the others handle that for now, I need you to come here. There's something you should check.::

::On my way, Prime.::

"He's on his way. Where is Bonnie?" I asked, getting up from my desk and letting the small human lead me.

"She's in the cafeteria with Ironhide. He's trying to feed her,"Sam informed as he tried to hold back a snicker.

We arrived at the cafeteria door and I try to shift quietly so that no noises would startle Bonnie. My holoform peeked its head in and what I see is probably the most embarrassing/cute scenario Ironhide has ever gotten in. He's talking to her in baby talk while holding her bottle. Every now and then, a small sound emits from the little newborn, which I'm guessing is a laugh. _How did she manage to laugh after one day? _

"Am I interrupting?" I break the silence, trying so hard not to laugh, myself. Ironhide quickly snaps to the sound of my voice and clears his throat.

"N-no. I was just feeding your child," he said stiffly, doing his best to be emotionless. The little glory is promptly taken off of his hands and into mine as I draw blunt circles on her stomach. She gives a small smile and I raise her up to burp her. Ironhide gasped sharply as she is placed gently on my shoulder.

"What is it?" I ask, continuing to pat her back softly.

"L-look," he whimpered out as he pointed a shaky finger. My optics followed his direction and a gasp emitted from me as well. Her back was glowing a bright blue. She lets out a burp and I put her back down as Sam comes into the picture.

"Okay, _that's_ why Ratchet needs to be here," he says as he inspects the faint glowing in her chest. They follow me over to the med-bay as we see Ratchet pulling in.

"What's so important that I have to stop my search for your femme?" he asked with a tired tone. I motioned him to come closer and he knelt down as I showed him the still glowing baby. His optics widened and focused before he folded down to pop out his holoform.

"She's been doing that a lot lately," I tell him, handing her over.

"That _is_ peculiar," he said as he laid her down and inspected both the front and back of her body. He gave her a quick scan and scrunched his eyebrows. "Her structure is similar to Nova's."

"Well, duh. She's her mom," Sam blurts out. Ratchet gives him a short death glare before he turns back to Bonnie.

"I meant her structure is almost exactly the same. She has a spark that pumps around a balanced mixture of both blood and energon," he says, not phased at all.

"So, what does that mean?" Ironhide asks from behind us.

"It means that we have a new Cybertronian," he says cheerfully.

The truth crashed on me like a wave and I started blinking to check if I was dreaming.

"Well, not exactly. Her structure isn't identical to Nova's, only similar. It seems as if she's the complete opposite of what Nova is." He must've seen the confusion on our faces because he lets out a loud sigh. "She is first and foremost human, but she has the ability to turn into a Cybertronian. So, in the simplest terms I can put them, she is the exact opposite of Nova. It's like her alt-form is a Cybertronian," he enunciated the last part to make sure we were all following clearly

"So that's what happened," Sam says randomly. We stare at him, waiting for some sort of explanation. "What? Oh, right, you guys weren't there when it happened. Well, when we were looking for the Matrix, Nova accidentally touched it with her gloves and her stomach started glowing a little bit."

"That actually makes sense," Ratchet says, "It's semi-raw power, and her gloves amplifies any energy she comes in contact with so it's not hard for the still developing Bonnie to have been affected. To be honest, it's surprising that she wasn't hurt at all when this happened." He pokes her under her chin gently, making her squeak happily.

"I always knew my baby was a fighter," I chuckle nervously.

"What would make you think that?" Ironhide asks.

"She's been in Nova's body for the past nine months and survived you trying to feed her. I think she's stronger than you suggest." I fold my arms and raise an eyebrow.

"You fed her?" Ratchet looks surprised. Ironhide grunted in agreement. "I should check her vitals again."

* * *

><p><em>Awesome right? Bonnie is joining the club! Yay! Here are the new goals for the next chapter. <strong>3 reviews or 3 alertsfavorites.**_

_**~Replies~**_

_**Andromeda Prime: **I have updated, and this is what happens next ;D_

**_collizy: _**_The story says it likes you too and that it hopes that it updated fast enough._

**_DarkAngelMel2: _**_I always thought Megatron was misunderstood and was acting out of love that he pretended was never there. I'm sorry but I cannot tell you what happens next for it shall ruin the surprises I have in store._

**_Mandipants24: _**_Everyone has a soft side, it just depends on who you show it to. Just like Ironhide :D Who only shows his soft side to Bonnie._

**_~Don't be a stranger ;D_**


	3. And So the Truth Comes Out

_Yup, here's a new one! There is a bad scene in here that you should not read if you are a bit squeamish. The rating is going up to M for it. (P.S. I just watched the Disney film Prom and when I heard Nova's name in there and how they described her almost exactly the same as I did in my first story, I was very surprised. Now I kinda feel crummy because people are going to think I stole their ideas. But you guys won't, right?) **(P.P.S. Check my profile for links to holoform pictures. Not a waste of time!)**_

**_Alter Ego#2: And don't forget to read the bottom for the new goals!_**

**_Me: _**_Um, that's kinda my job, but okay ;)_

**_Alter Ego#2: _**_And I bet you're going to tell me that it's your job to say **She doesn't own anything!**_

_**Me: **Actually, no._

* * *

><p><strong>(Nova's POV)<strong>

I had a relatively peaceful sleep. Jeffy was allowed to cuddle up in the crook of my neck, seeing that it calmed him down when he could feel the beat of my spark. I cracked an optic open and saw the time; 10:08. I was judging the time that I usually woke up in the morning and figured that I must be somewhere in the Mountain Daylight time zone. And, since the car trip we took was only few hours, my position had narrowed down to Utah, Idaho, Colorado, or Wyoming. When I stood up, the little insection shivered slightly so I gently scooped him up and put his fragile body on the warm spot of my pillow, covered slightly with the blanket. He purred quietly and I petted his head. When I pulled away, I felt a small static feeling on my finger tips. _That was odd._

I went to the kitchen to fix myself some breakfast and saw a note made of refrigerator magnets on the fridge.

_Meet me at gazebo wen u can._

_P.S. Dont let Strscrm catch u._

I started laughing quietly at the corniness of this note but caught myself quickly. _Why am I laughing? I shouldn't be laughing. I should be scared… and angry. _But, something about this seemed familiar… too familiar.

I finished my cereal quickly and went straight for a bath. Something in my head told me that I would be safe if I went. And, because I've got nothing else to lose, I thought, why not? By the time I stepped out, Jeffy had woken up and started running around my feet as I walked.

"Stop, I might squish you," I giggled as I made my way to my clothes. He let out a small worried chirp as he quickly dashed onto the bed and out of the way. A baggy gray sweater that stopped mid-stomach had donned itself on me, as well as a regular pair of shorts. My hair was left to air dry as I started to go out the door. Jeffy had followed me around and climbed up on my leg before the outside elements could kiss my skin.

"Aw, you wanna go outside, don't you?" I baby-talked him. He nodded his little helm and I thought about it for a second. "Well, I'm not sure if you can… but if you can hide and stay quite when you need to, I'll let you tag along." He puffed out his chassis and gave me a stern nod, showing me how responsible he could be. "Good. Now, get in." I opened up my pocket that was in my sweater and he slipped in, changing into his alt. form as he did. I cracked my door open ever so slightly, scanning for traces of Starscream or security cameras that he could be watching. When there were none, I tip-toed my way to the gazebo. Megatron waiting there, looking like he was in some major distress. I watched him for a while, seeing if I could figure out what he was thinking.

"No, no. I can't tell her like that, it's creepy," he muttered to himself.

"Tell her what?" I asked with a smile on my face, as I stepped away from my hiding spot. I saw him jump a little at the sound of my voice, causing me to smirk evilly. I walked onto the bridge that led to the small gazebo which was in the middle of the pond. My smile faded and my arms found themselves curling around my body in a protective manor as I got closer. _Please, don't be a trap._

* * *

><p><strong>(Megatron's POV)<strong>

I was sitting on a bench in the small gazebo, practicing how to tell her the truth. In all honesty, this was getting on my last nerve. How do other mechs _do_ this type of slag?

"Nova, a long time ago, I erased your memory. Wait, no. If I say that, she'll get scared again." I cleared my throat and gave it another shot. "Nova, I stole you for a good reason. No, no. I can't tell her like that, it's creepy."

"Tell her what?" a voice came from behind me. I immediately recognized it and jumped a little, hoping she didn't hear anything else. I turn around to see a smile on her face. _That's a good thing._ But then it disappeared as she neared me, covering up her body again. _What am I doing that's so wrong?_

"Oh, n-nothing," I say, trying to cover up the situation. I automatically try to change the topic. "Good to see Starscream didn't catch you sneaking out," I laugh nervously.

"Sneaking out?" she asks with a hint of fright and ducked behind me, checking if Starscream could have magically appeared somewhere.

"No, no, no. It's okay, he won't hurt you," I chuckle, turning around and cradling her in my arms. She hadn't notice because she was still looking behind me, just in case. But when she did notice, I think I saw her relishing the moment for a while. After that, she stepped back and started gripping the ring on her finger.

_I should've been the one who gave her that._

"So—um, why did you want me here?" she asks awkwardly, scratching the back of her neck.

"Actually, I thought I'd take you out of here for lunch. I know how you don't like to be cramped up in certain situations." She looked at me as if she were to question how I honestly knew that, but she shrugged it off. I guess she's getting used to it.

"Okay, why not?" she says mischievously, "But I thought I can't get out of here with this bracelet on." She tugs on her bracelet slightly, showing me how it shrinks.

"And that's why _I'm _bringing you to lunch, and _not_ Starscream." I give her an elbow to hold on and this time, she does it while laughing. _Finally, some progress._

"I'm guessing that Starscream doesn't know about this and would blow a fuse if he found out," she states as we near the gates. I give her a nod, "So why are we doing it?" I turn to her and deactivate her bracelet until we get on the other side of the gate, when I turn it back on.

"Because, he doesn't know you like I do and to be honest, he's no fun. Kind of like Prowl, except stupider, eviler, and he wants to take over my position." I lead her to my alt. form, not noticing my mistake.

"You know Prowl?" she asks as I help her climb in. I freeze up a little and start stuttering out a lie.

"I-I know _of_ him." She nods and does her best to believe me. The truth is that she used to always complain to me about when she first met him and how he was kind of a prick. I drove around for a bit, finally parking into a small street that's filled with vendors and stands of every kind. It has a vintage feeling to it.

"Aw, this place is cute," she says as she hops off her seat. "Where are we eating?"

"Actually, I thought we might pick something up and head down to the lake." She stiffens at the mentioning of a lake. I'm not exactly sure why, but I feel like I said something I shouldn't have because she's pretends like nothing happened.

"A-a lake? Is it one of the small, deserted ones?" she asks, trying to sound natural.

"Um, no, it's pretty big. It's like a beach except it's not an ocean. It's a salt lake," I cringe at my words, now hoping that she didn't just figure out where she might be.

"Oh, cool," was her response. My optics darted around for anything to change the subject when I spotted something squirming in her shirt.

"Um, is you sweater okay?" I point towards her pocket. She clutches it quickly.

"Yeah, it's fine," she says nervously, but then a small insection pops out and she groans. "Jeffy, I said quiet."

"So, I see you've found my little gift," I chuckle. The little thing hisses at me and finds refuge in her slightly closed palm. I forgot he hates me.

"Sorry, but he really wanted to get out," she apologizes, trying to shove him back into her pocket.

"It's fine, as long as you don't lose him. He's quicker than he looks. I'm speaking from experience." She breathes out a short laugh and we walk around, buying food from all different ethnicities.

* * *

><p><strong>(Nova's POV)<strong>

I found out, or at least I have a good estimate, of where I am. Salt Lake City, Utah. Starscream was right to keep me locked up in the vista, but thanks to Megatron, I am one step closer to leaving. But, something at the bottom of my spark is telling me it doesn't want to. Jeffy crawls up my arm as we walk down the pier. Ever since Megatron found out that he was here with us, he keeps popping out every now and then from boredom. There was still that weird static-y feeling he had whenever he touched bare skin but I paid no mind to it. We both, after all, are made of metal. This time, when he was crawling around, he had made it to the top of my head, but when he stepped on my temple, I received a powerful shock and was repelled violently into Megatron's arms.

"What happened?" he asks me, scanning my face for emotions.

"I don't know, I think Jeffy shocked me," I strain, rubbing my head. The small insection is lying on his back, dazed from the shock a couple feet away.

"That's one Pit of a shock," he says as he helps me up.

"You're telling me. That hurt like a, glitch. Jeffy, are you okay?" I ask as I bend down to scoop him up. The static feeling is gone and he looks like he's doing better. I place him on my shoulder as we find a table to sit at. Megatron looks at my face once more, inspecting it thoroughly.

"You have a bruise on your temple," he says worriedly as he gently brushes a finger over it.

"It'll heal," I shrug. He shakes his head in disagreement but lets it go. Probably doesn't want to get into an argument. His gaze drifts from my temple to my optics, and they stay there. He starts to lean in, but I push him away. _Okay, this is getting way too familiar. Where have I done this before? I bet you the next thing he says is 'Do you want to see something cool?'_

"Hey, do you want to see something cool?" Megatron says with a hint of mischief. He nudges my back slightly. I'm screaming in my head, but on the outside, I try hard to keep my composure.

"Yeah, sure," I squeak out, not believing that I've lived this before. He leads me down to the sand and we walk towards a few boulders that surround a cliff. "It's just a bunch of rocks," I say confused.

"Nope, we're not there yet." He grabs my hand and pulls me up on top of a few rocks and from there, it looks like a dead end, but as we walk closer to the cliff, there is a small hole at the bottom which couldn't be seen if you were just standing where we were. The hole leads down to a brightly lit cave which has glyphs carved in everywhere. "Now, we're here."

"Whoa. Who drew all this?" I ask as I trace over a few markings.

"Other Cybertronians who were here before us. And now…" He carved both our names into the wall with a small laser he had, "… us." It felt a little weird how he wrote _our_ names together, but granted he is a weird fellow. We ended up spending the entire afternoon there, eating our food and watching Jeffy play in the sand. He told me more about how he came to be a Decepticon and how he managed to "accidentally" become the leader of it all. Apparently, he got there because he knew the importance of his priorities.

"It's always family, friends, and work. But since I no longer have any family and never really made friends, work has been the number one thing on my list." He ticked off each priority with his fingers. I had somehow ended up leaning against his chest, against the cave wall, and was now wrapped around his arms.

"What about me? Am I just your work?" I ask, trying to stump him.

"W-well, no," he started. I knew he wouldn't call me a friend because whatever twisted fantasy he had in his mind, he knew he would never achieve it by calling me a friend.

"So am I a friend? Because I know for sure I'm not family." An evil smile had graced my features as I said that. He began to stuttering a little.

"You know what you are? You're an exception," he says smoothly.

"I have to say, that's a pretty good line," I chuckle as I lean back into his chest. The sun is beginning to set and he stands up.

"We better go back, Starscream might get suspicious," he says, holding out a hand.

"Oh, great. Him. How'd you get stuck with him as a successor anyway?" I question bitterly.

"To be honest, I based him off of statistics. I now realize that it was a bad idea, but it's too late to change anything," he says, hoisting me up a rock. I pick up Jeffy, who seems to spasm a little every few seconds.

"Never judge a successor by his file. You know they always lie on those things anyway." I slip on a wet rock but he catches me in time.

"Yes, but give me some credit, I was still new to this thing back then," he puts his hands up to defend himself and I copy him, making him chuckle a little. The car trip back to the vista was filled with a peaceful silence. But Jeffy wasn't having the best time in the world.

"Jeffy, are you okay?" I ask the jittering bug. He nods wearily but then spasms painfully again. "What's wrong with him?" I ask Megatron.

"I'm not sure. Aren't you the one who's been studying the anatomy of Cybertronians? Shouldn't you know?" he asks accusingly with a hint of concern.

"For your information, I've been studying the anatomy of _Cybertronians_ not _insections_. Even you should know that. Didn't you used to have Insecticons? Wouldn't their anatomy be similar to Jeffy's?" I return in a tone similar to his.

"Just because I_ knew_ Insecticons doesn't mean that I studied their body. That's creepy and unnecessary," he informs with a shudder.

My attention snaps back to Jeffy who seems to be groaning in pain. I rub his back, trying to sooth him. A quick scan shows me nothing different; a medic's worst nightmare.

"I don't think I can fix it Jeffy. I can't find anything wrong with you. It'll pass, just try and hold up," I say caringly. He gives me a shaky nod before collapsing in my palm. "Aw, I feel helpless."

"He'll be fine," Megatron says, rubbing my arm with a free hand. We make it back to the vista and the sun is barely peeking out of the sky. "Oh, frag, we came back later than I thought," he says, observing the sun. "Um—okay, just try not to make too much noise. If Starscream finds out that we left, he's going to have a cow."

"More like a petting zoo," I mumble. He gives me a breathy chuckle before I'm being dragged by the hand to my quarters. We're about to turn a corner when I see a reflection of someone on a cleaning cart that's been left out. Instinctively, I pull Megatron into some bushes along with me and we hold our breaths until whoever it was passes by. He sits up from his position, which was on top of me, and peeks through some leaves.

"Where the frag is he?" a holoform, I'm guessing Starscream's, grumbles. "I swear, one day, I'm going to dethrone that stupid mech. He can't even seem to keep the prisoner in check." I could feel Megatron heating up in anger and I make a grab for his fist, slowly intertwining my fingers with his, in order to calm him down. He notices and lets the anger escape as I rest a cheek on his shoulder, waiting for Starscream to leave.

"Come on," he whispers to me once the coast is clear. We stumble towards my door, laughing a little at our close encounter.

"Well, that was fun," I breathed out.

"Would you like to do it again?" he chuckled.

"Oh, Primus no." This makes him laugh a little more. As we start to calm down, we get caught in a gaze. "Thank you."

"For what?" he asks, tilting his head slightly.

"For not hurting me," I sigh, my smile slowly disappearing. His smile goes away as well and he looks down with shame on his face. Pity for him starts welling up in the pit of my stomach and I do the best to make him feel better. Almost automatically, my arms give him a hug around the neck, and my lips give him soft kiss on the cheek. His optics light up as I pull away, and before he can react I step inside my little apartment and close the door. The adrenaline has me running to my room and dropping on my bed, letting my pulse calm down a little. Jeffy crawls out of my pocket and gives me a reprimanding look.

"What? He looked sad," I lamely excused myself. He never let up from his death glare and had his small servos crossed in front of himself. "Don't look at me like that, you're not my dad." I brushed him off of me as I stepped into the bathroom and took a short bath, washing the dirt, leaves, and sand off my body.

* * *

><p><strong>(Megatron's POV)<strong>

This was the most progress I've had so far. My face had bore a stupid smile, and for some reason, I couldn't shake it off. What _did_ make it go away was the sight of Starscream's ugly face.

"Ugh, you," I muttered inaudibly.

"Master, I've been looking for you all day. Where have you been?" he asks, holding back the bitter hate.

"I went out," I snap, not giving any more information than needed.

"No need for lies, sir. I saw you taking _her_ out of the premises." My pulse skipped a little, but I managed to hide my fear.

"It was part of my plans, fool," I hissed at him. "I told you before, I know what I'm doing."

"May I remind you, the goal is to multiply, not fall in love," he hissed.

"And may _I_ remind _you_, I'm your superior and you should not be talking to me like that," I grumble at him, projecting my hatred towards his direction.

"With all due respect, master. If you do not act quickly, I will be forced to take action," he snarls.

"I said I had a plan," I bark, slapping him with the back of my hand. "Fall back, Starscream. There's a reason you're working for _me._" He nods bitterly and walks away. I know he has a plan as well as I, and I know that he will not spare a single minute. Racing back towards Nova's room, I try to warn her of the inevitable. My fist found its way to her door, banging aggressively for her to open up.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" I hear from behind the door and my hand drops down calmly. She opens the door with a smile on her face but it wipes away when she sees the mix of emotions on mine. "What happened?" I grab her and lock the door behind us. I travel to her room, locking that door as well.

"Look, I don't know how much time we have, but I fear that you might be in danger." She stares at me for a while. "I mean more than you're in now."

"Uh-huh. Sure," she says skeptically.

"I'm serious. Starscream is going rogue and I can't stop him." I grab her hand and sit her down on the bed. "There's something you need to know. I didn't tell you earlier because you probably would've never believed me." She nods her head slowly, seeing the seriousness of this conversation. "I _need _you to believe me and to stay calm at whatever I tell you." She hesitates a little before nodding her head again.

"Okay, so what is it that I need to know?"

I sigh and project a memory from a long time ago for her to see.

"We knew each other, a long time ago. Before, you were recruited and before I was chosen for a leader." She looks at the projected memory. It starts off in a small, abandoned laboratory, and there is a young femme staring back into the optics of the mech's memory.

"Megatron, we have to do this. There's no way the Autobots are going to let me go free if they ever scan my memories," she pleads.

"No, we don't have to. We've dodged this problem before, we can keep going," he pleads back, grabbing her servos. Her optics glaze a little as she goes on with her argument.

"This is different, you're not listening. They will eventually check my memories. All my excuses have backed up and to top it off, Bee is getting suspicious. He almost caught you that one time." Her hand goes from his grasp to his face plates.

"This is what you really want?" he sighs.

"I don't want this, but it needs to happen if we want to live without people hunting us down. It's for the best." She steps up and kisses him for the last time. He quivers to hold back the sadness and quickly hits a button that erases her memory, but not his. "Megatron, what are you doing?"

"I can't let go Nova, you mean too much to me," he says, stepping back a little.

"But—"

"I love you," he says, giving her one more kiss.

"I lov—," she trails off, her memory slowly leaving the world. The mech runs away, making sure she doesn't see him. And that's when the memory ended.

"T-that was me," she gasps quietly. Her head snaps towards me, "W-why'd you show me that? Why did you erase my memory?"

"Well, you asked me to. Back then, we fell in love, even though we were on different sides of the war. To be honest, I thought we were doing just fine, but you came up to me one day, telling me how we could both be tortured for what we've done. You asked me to erase the evidence of us, and I did. But, I couldn't find the strength to erase my own memory. I loved you too much." She started inching away just a bit.

"So, what's the whole point of me knowing this?" I could hear the whimpering in her voice.

"Don't hate me for saying this," I sigh. "As you know, this battle is being fought for the right of life, and you are one of the key components of life, since there no longer is enough energon to sustain an incubation cell for hatchlings—"

"You were going to use me to colonize your army?" she yells, getting up from the bed. I get up and try to calm her down, but she slaps my face to get me to back away. "And here, I thought you were actually better than that. I should've never let my guard down."

"No, no. We were going to use you, but… not anymore. The past few days, I tried recreating the times we had, to make you more comfortable, but reliving those memories reminded me why I let you go in the first place. Because I loved you. So, I'm not going to force you to do what you don't want to." She relaxed a little and took a small step towards me.

"You really won't hurt me?" she asks innocently. I shake my head. "Then will you let me go?"

"Yes. I will," I say strongly. She smiles a little and tears up with joy. "But I can't do it willingly. If Starscream finds out, he could corrupt my empire. It would be unspeakable."

"That it will!" I hear a screech from behind me. Starscream had managed to break down both sets of doors and reached the bedroom. I was about to fight him but he threw something around my neck that repelled me backwards and trapped me in a small transparent box. I tried dropping my holoform, but it wouldn't let me. "If you are not strong enough to continue our race…" he throws Nova onto the bed and the bracelet on her arm glows with bright red energy, strapping all of her limbs down, "… then I will."

* * *

><p><strong>(Nova's POV)<strong>

I felt completely helpless. I couldn't move at all without the bracelet's energy cutting me. Starscream towered over me and I do what I can, spit in his face, which makes him growl.

"For that, traitor, I will make this experience hurt twice as much," he barks at me. My optics finally strain out tears as I fear what will happen next. "But, first things first. I must remove your ring… the painful way." He forces my chest to shift open and reveal my spark chamber. The blue ring had formed a shield around my spark and the evil glitch shoved his grubby fingers into it, ripping it mercilessly out of the way. I let out a scream in pain as he tried to force it off.

"Your stupid Prime really does love you. This ring is difficult to get off... but not impossible," he cackles evilly. I could feel the tugging at my finger, where my other ring lay. It began to crack slowly. He finally managed to break my ring clean in half and he tossed it away.

"No! Stop hurting her!" Megatron muffled from his prison. My head turned towards his direction and I pleaded with my optics. He tried busting his way out, but it was too strong.

"Now, I'd like to experiment a little. I don't know how humans find this so appealing," Starscream hisses at me as he forcibly tears away my clothing. I let out a yelp as the cold air met my skin.

"Please, p-please don't do this," I cry out. He slaps my face, making my previous wound open up.

"Shut up, fleshling-wannabe. And quit your whimpering!" He scratches the skin on my arm, making that bleed as well. As he tears the last of my clothes of, I felt him force himself into me, and I let out a blood-curdling scream from the horrible pain that followed it.

"NO!" Megatron was yelling. Starscream forced something into my mouth to gag me and stop my screaming as he went on with his barbaric torture.

"I still don't get the pleasure humans achieve from this," he grumbles as he gets out of me and reaches for my spark. "No matter, once we are bonded, I will train a new army to do my biding. And I'll correct the mistakes you've made," he spat towards Megatron. I was biting hard on my gag as he got closer to my spark. No one could doubt that Starscream would and could deliver on his promise, he was a slagging scientist—a pretty good one at that—before this stupid war. I didn't want to know what harmful chemicals he concocted just for his special, little "army."

As soon as he was about to start the bond, a familiar shape flew from the door and tackled the moronic creep off me. I shut my optics tight as sounds of a scuffle broke out. I felt someone grab me and immediately tensed up at the touch, screaming wildly at the contact.

"Shh, shhh. It's me Nova, it's okay." I opened an optic and saw a teary-eyed Optimus starring down at me. He took the gag out of my mouth and deactivated my bracelet. I immediately shot up and cried heavily in his arms as he tried covering up my body with his. "I can't imagine the pain you've been through," he whispers in my ear. I take a peek at the floor and see a knocked out Starscream. Surely he would only be in that state temporarily.

"Are you all right? Do you have any pain?" he asks me. I try to answer him, but the words won't make it to my mouth. It feels almost like my throat won't let anything escape.

He doesn't need to wait for an answer because he can see the scratches and bruises along my body. I felt him put a trench coat around me. It was one of mine and it only reached a quarter down my thigh, so it barely covered anything. Still I was grateful for it.

"Come on, let's go," he says, leading me out. Apparently, he didn't recognize Megatron in the box and I had slipped down next to the 'Con quickly. I gave him a look that said "Don't make me regret this" and he returned it with a look that said "No promises." I released him anyway. Optimus called me from outside of the room and I staggered to his side, grabbing a very confused insection.

"I found something, it looks like it's yours," he said as he held out both my spark ring and my engagement ring. They were broken in an identical pattern. I gasped at the shattered tokens that he had given me. "I'll fix it."

* * *

><p><em>Whoa! Doesn't reading this want to make you review so that you can read what Optimus was doing during all this? I'll tell you what, if you guys give me <strong>3 reviews or 3 alertsfavorites**, I'll post a new chapter._

**_~Replies~_**

**_collizy: _**_It means so much that you still review although there's not much to say. **Hey, people of fanfic, you could learn a thing or two from collizy!**_

_**DarkAngelMel2: **Oh fanfic is such a meanie for not letting you log on :( But you did, yay! Jazz will always find someway to say something funny, no matter the situation. I plan on giving Ironhide more time with Bonnie (it's his soft spot, heheh). And yes, you did get the half transformer half human part correctly._

**_Mandipants24: _**_Robot swears are the only swears that I feel comfortable writing, heheh. And Bonnie has got some more awesomness planned for her future so be prepared!_

_**~Don't be a stranger ;D**_


	4. And So the Truth Comes Out Pt 2

_I'm sads :( __Sorry that I didn't get this up as quickly as I usually do, but between getting ready for school, the lack of ideas in my head, and the low spirit of my readers who don't review... I was a little sad and it took me longer to write because I kinda felt like people aren't really enjoying what I'm giving to them. That's why I rely on you people to give me a few pointers onto what exactly I could do better or maybe what you would like to see. Anyway, I have some good news. **I put up a picture of Bonnie on my profile! Don't forget to read the bottom for goals.**_

_**Alter Ego#2: **And please please please review so she can get back on track with her writing schedule!_

**_Me: _**_Thanks #2. That was nice of you._

**_Alter Ego#2: And she doesn't own anything except her imaginations! _**_I just thought I'd take some stress off your shoulders ;)_

* * *

><p><strong>(Optimus' POV)<strong>

I couldn't get a wink of sleep. My thoughts were bouncing around my head, causing me distress. I almost wished that Bonnie wasn't sleeping so peacefully, I needed _something_ to do. If it weren't for Ratchet being so backed up with paperwork, I may have gone insane of doing absolutely nothing.

"Prime, you need to recharge. I don't care how anxious you are right now, but it's not going to help Nova anymore if you're not functioning as best you can," Ratchet spoke up from his side of the med bay. I was on the opposite side, unpacking and sorting the new com-links while he was prepping his tools for putting them in. We've been working all night and it was about 3 in the morning. "Don't worry, if there's any news, any at all, you'll be the first to know."

"Promise?" I sigh, rubbing my temple with a servo.

"Yes, yes. I promise, just go," he says, pushing me out the door.

"Wait, what about Bonnie?" I steal a peek behind me to glance at my beautiful daughter, resting in a small crib that we got from the baby shower.

"Hey, guess what, I'm a doctor. She'll be fine," he tells me sarcastically.

"Yeah but-," my words get cut off as I'm shoved out the room.

"Recharge, Prime!" I heard him muffle through the door. I groan loudly and rest my forehead on the frame.

"Prime, Prime, Prime, Prime," I hear from behind me, "Optimus, Optimus, Optimus, Opts., Opts., Opts., Primey, Primey, Primey…"

"What's he doing?" I ask Bumblebee, who appeared next to me and started leaning against the wall.

"I believe the humans call it 'Pulling a Stewie Griffin'," he answers as he gives a small chuckle at the ever annoying Sideswipe.

"Boss 'Bot, Boss 'Bot, Boss 'Bot-,"

"What?" I yell when I turn around and let the exhaustion get the best of me.

"Hi," he answers, giggling slightly. Bumblebee erupts in laughter at the stupidity of his friend. "Naw, naw, I'm just kidding. Heheh," he gasps out as his laughter dies down. "No, that's not why I'm here. I came to tell you that we lost all traces of Nova." We all put on serious expressions at those words.

"Are you certain?" I ask, hiding back the sadness.

"Yes, yes I am." I give a sigh as my fist clenches. "The most we could pinpoint is that she's somewhere around Nevada, California, and the rest of the world."

"Wow, man. You suck at making people feel better," Bumblebee says, doing his best to console me. He just ends up patting my arm because he can't reach my shoulders.

"Dude, I'm not going to sugarcoat that news. He needs to hear it straight up." Bumblebee was about to reason with him, but I stop his sentences.

"He is correct. This news is better told truthfully. We must create a strategy quickly," I say as I start heading to my office.

"Prime, wait. Do you really need to do this again?" Sideswipe starts with somewhat of an offensive tone. "I mean, you worked us to the core last time she went missing, and it ended up that she was perfectly fine. Don't you think she can get out of this mess on her own?" he asks me. Bumblebee looks shocked at his words and I just stare at him in disbelief.

"Sideswipe, may I remind you that _because_ I worked you to the core, she was safe. Had we not arrived sooner, who knows what could've happened to her. Especially because she couldn't defend herself at the time and Barricade was just literally yards away from her position." I took a step towards him to emphasize my words a little. "We do _not_, nor will we ever, give up on each other. I learned that lesson the hard way and I insist on keeping it as so." I saw Bumblebee tilt his head in memory of the day that his sister had prevailed in rescuing him from S7, while I did not. "You'll be grateful I did, Sideswipe." It didn't look like he was really connecting with what I was telling him and I sighed from that fact. I didn't want to do it, but I had to do _something_ to help him relate. "You do have a brother that we're waiting for, right? Well, that's what Nova is like to most everyone here. If I gave up on her, it'd be similar to you giving up on Sunstreaker. You don't want us to give up on him, do you?" He takes a deep breath at the reality of both our situations.

"You're… you're right, Optimus. I'm sorry, I was just a little lost is all. Nova's like a sister to me… a caring, protective, smoking hot –ahem –point is, she means just as much to me as she does you and I guess I was just in a small state of withdrawal. I mean, I've already lost one sibling, I can't lose a metaphorical one," he says as he looks to the ground.

"We've all lost something today, but we need to remain strong and not turn on one another. The blame is not towards you. Megatron is our prime enemy. It is he who will pay for all of this," I sigh out, holding my helm up high. "Sideswipe, can you strategize with Ratchet? I need to recharge."

"Hold on, me?" he asks as if he was told to lift 50 elephants. I process slowly why he wouldn't want to cope with Ratchet. _Oh yeah._

"Bumblebee," I turn my body to face the yellow mech, "can you strategize with Ratchet?"

"Of course." He gets up from his spot and I take a few steps to the direction of my room.

"Don't make too much noise, Bonnie's in there," I say behind me.

"Awesome!" Bumblebee exclaims quietly.

"What? No fair, I wanted to see her," I hear Sideswipe whine.

"Then you should've chosen to work with Ratchet," he answers triumphantly. My face plates couldn't help but form a smirk at their quarrel.

I decide to recharge in my holoform because it makes me feel so much more relaxed. Humans had way more nerves on their exterior than I had expected, and since we had a down comforter in our new room that Lennox had given us, it made recharge much more peaceful. I reach my quarters, expecting to have a difficult time drifting away, but oddly enough, I'm out like a light. My thought processors led onto a vivid dream… well… not really a dream, more like a flashback.

**~OMG it's Optimus' dream!~**

Prowl and I were traveling around Cybertron, recruiting anyone who wanted to stay an Autobot, rather a Decepticon. Ironhide had been one of the first to turn from the Decepticons and he told us that there were others who wanted to join us. We came upon a small, run-down laboratory.

"Optimus, I highly doubt that anyone is in there. It seems the structure of the building entails that it may be abandoned," Prowl tells me quietly as we step closer to it.

"Yes, it _appears_ to be empty, but I've got a feeling that there could be someone in there," I say simply, sliding the door open.

"Sir, we shouldn't base our opinions on feeli-," he gets cut off by my raised servo.

"Look, there's someone on the floor." I can hear Prowl's processor whirring slightly from trying to put logic into this situation. I kneel beside the fallen femme and inspect her status. "There's no harm done to her. By the looks of it, she seems to be in a slight case of stasis lock, but she'll wake up on her own."

"Prime, look at this," Prowl calls, gesturing towards an old looking machine. I step up and take a glance at the screen. "'Memory deleted'," Prowl read. We both let out a gasp. Deleting a memory is a serious thing. A memory, good or bad, was important to everyone. It holds the key to our history on which we base our society on. "What memory could've been so horrible that she had to erase it completely?"

"There's no time to wonder. We need to get her back to base before someone else decides to harm her," I say, picking her up.

"Does she have any markings or tags?" Prowl asks, stepping closer to inspect her.

"There's one glyph on her helm. It says Nova." Prowl jumps a little as his processor processes.

"Optimus, do you really believe it to be wise bringing her? She could be the direct descendant of Nova Prime himself," he says uneasily.

"There's a reason he changed his name to Nemesis Prime, Prowl. And just because she is in possession of a glyph containing his previous name does not mean that she will do us harm. It could be _her_ name for all we know."

"Yes, but Prime, my job is to maintain your safety and-,"

"And I'm a big 'Bot now, okay?" I say sarcastically, "I think I can take care of myself in this situation." Prowl stutters a little before sighing.

"As you wish," he lets out dejectedly. We head back to our base and are welcomed by a cold tone in the air.

"Back so soon, Prime? And you only found one recruit who seems to have been offlined," Ironhide says, looking up from his work.

"She is in stasis lock. And so that you are duly informed, we just started and thought it was best to bring her back here so she can heal in a much more… friendly… environment." I see him take a good look at her.

"Well, I won't mind," he says, completely changing his tune. "I'll just take her off your hands." He makes a grab for her body but I jerk back a little.

"Actually, I was referring to Ratchet's help. I think it would be best that she is taken care of by a certified medic and not a love struck 'Bot," I chuckle lightly as Ironhide shrugs.

"Everything else is going haywire, why not take a few chances?" he starts walking away. I'm pretty sure Prowl almost offlined at the thought of basing our actions on pure impulse. Prowl and I travel our separate ways as I make it to the med bay.

"Ratchet, there's someone I need you to help," I say as I put her gently onto a berth.

"What's the story behind this one?" he asks me.

"We found her like this after what seems to be an erased memory." I hear a gasp from the opposite side of the room.

"Who erased a memory?" Bumblebee asks as he starts jogging towards our direction. I gesture to the femme on the berth and his optics widen dramatically.

"Nova!" he grabs her shoulders and tries shaking her up. Ratchet pulls him back.

"Quit it, mech! You're going to fry her circuits," he grumbled.

"How do you know her?" I ask him.

"She's my sister! She's the new 'Bot I was telling you to recruit!" he exclaims, struggling from Ratchet's grip. _No wonder she looks familiar._

"So _this_ is your sister," Ratchet says to himself once Bumblebee's energy dies down a little. She had woken up after a while and it was from that point on that she had proven herself worthy of our team. We worked together multiple times, and slowly, she worked herself up to a position similar in ranks with Prowl. The only difference was she was in the research and development team while Prowl was in the strategic and defensives team. I would've expected the two to fight with each other for higher ranks over the years, but the end result was them becoming friends. As well as another unexpected result of the both of us falling for each other.

**~Boo, the dream's over ;(~**

I wake up, wondering why exactly I was remembering that moment when I had first met her. My recharge hadn't done much to my attitude, but it did relax me a little. I marched myself over to the med bay to check on how the plan to find Nova was working out. My thoughts had completely taken over my involuntary movements. I found that my air flow hitched every so often and I was wringing my servos out nervously as I neared the doors.

"Oh good, Prime, you're here," Ratchet welcomed me to the table the two were huddled at. He noticed my current state and looked as if he was to question it, but I shook my head, telling him that I was fine. "Um, anyway, we've come up with some disappointing results. Unfortunately, there's not enough information we can go by to look for her," he said with a gloomy tone.

"There has to be something we can do!" I let out with exasperation. "We can't just be stuck in a dead end!" My optics shift between the two, looking for any sign of agreement, but there is none. "Come on, think. I'm not going to give up on this, we need to keep going!" my tone has a slight hint of me going off the deep end. It is further supported by my action of grabbing Ratchet by the shoulder plates and shaking him for an answer. "I said we need to keep working!"

"Optimus, calm down," he said soothingly, although his facial expressions had amplified in worry. "I've never seen you this hysterical before. I fear that it's clouding your judgment." I let go of him, slowly letting reality warp me back into the present, and nod in shame.

"Of… of course. Please, accept my apology. I've been, as the humans say, on edge, lately," I breath out with shame. Thank goodness Bonnie wasn't currently in this room with us. She must be with Ironhide.

"It happens to the best of us," Bumblebee offers, "I know I've had my fair share of that feeling." He saw the depressed tone in me and did his best to help me get through it. "We'll keep working, Optimus. There's no way that I'm going to give up," he said courageously.

"Why don't you take a walk, Prime? It'll relieve you of some stress. And, who knows? You might just solve the problem… somehow," he stated with a limp attempt at optimism. I know he means well and he's doing his job of looking out for my health, but to be honest, he's not doing a very _good_ job. "We'll notify you if we find anything worth interest." And with that, I slump towards the outside of the med bay. The base was disclosed enough that I could stroll around the outside perimeters without getting caught, and so that's where I went. I took this time to take my mind off of the void in my spark. Earth has always fascinated me with its beautiful scenery. There were so many different types of life and cultures all on one shared planet, which is in contrast to Cybertron. Sure, it was as breathtaking as Earth is, but it was all a united force, until Megatron had ruined it. I was so engulfed in my thoughts, that I hadn't noticed a curious femme following by my side, studying my thoughts. She responded to the confused expression I bore.

"You've been thinking quite a lot," she hummed at me.

"What makes you say that?" I raise an optic ridge to further my emotion.

"I've been walking next to you for the past five minutes and you didn't even give off a small sign of acknowledging my company," she said as we slowed our pace to a stop.

"Oh, my apologies," I say automatically, without much meaning to the words. Elita-1 picked up on my empty mindedness and had placed two servos onto her hips.

"Okay, that's it," she went behind me and forced me down into a sitting position. I was baffled by how she managed to do that, considering that she two-thirds my size. "You need to relax," she said simply as I felt her pushing pressure points that are hidden slightly under my armor.

"What are you doing?" I ask her, starting to feel a little violated. I tried to get up but she gently pushes me down before answering.

"It's called a massage. Even you know what that is, Optimus," she giggled at me. I was about to protest, but she had hit a specifically stressed out nerve. It caused me to let out an involuntary moan. _I was not expecting that._ I could feel her smirking at my accidental outburst. "Just let your mind wander, don't think too much on a specific topic. For now, let me handle that," she said with a small mixture of soothing and evil. _Evil? _I didn't let that thought scour too long among my thoughts. To be honest, I was quite enjoying her display of help. If only she were Nova, and if only Nova would never leave. Why couldn't Primus just let us have some peace of mind? Things were barely scraping along and now it was getting worse. I found that my entire thought processor was filled with images and memories of the happiest times the two of us ever shared. One thought in particular; our first kiss. I relived that moment, and to my surprise, it felt real, as if she were right here in my arms right now. My optics quickly flutter open, just in case it really was her and that she somehow made it back. To my demise, I found that the femme in my grasp was far from being the only one worthy of my spark. It was Elita-1.

"Hey Optimus-!" I heard Bumblebee stop mid-sentence as he witnessed what was happening. It took me a second before finally realizing that I was kissing Elita, and she didn't seem flustered by that at all. "What. Are. You. Doing?" he asked with horror and anger. He stumbled backwards a little before changing course and headed straight for us. I had already pushed Elita-1 out of my arms and started to stand and explain myself.

"It's not what it-," I was cut off by a painful slap to my cheek plates. It was obvious that he didn't care how much more superior I was, he only cared about his sister at this point, and I couldn't blame him.

"Don't you _dare_ fragging start with that excuse! You know what you were doing and you know what Nova would be thinking at this point!" He pointed an accusing finger towards my chest.

"Bumblebee, to my defense, I wasn't aware of what I was doing," I said calmly. The look on his face told me that he wasn't buying it.

"How can you _not _know that you were kissing someone? Mind you, the femme you were kissing isn't even the one that you love!" He paused a little before his optics turned to daggers. "Unless, you do love her. And behind Nova's back, too! How long has this been going on?" he spat angrily.

"Now, Bumblebee. I understand your anger, but your accusations are irrational. Nothing has ever gone on between us and I assure you, nothing ever will," I confirmed sternly. Right now, I didn't care who's feelings were hurt, only that he knew Nova was the only one in my mind. Elita-1 heard the seriousness in my tone and finally had accepted it. She was no match for Nova, and she really needs to move on.

"How do I know you're not lying? You looked like you were enjoying the little backstabbing scene that was playing on a mere second ago. How do you think Nova's going to react to this. Who knows if she'll ever forgive you," he scowled.

"You know as well as I do that I love your sister with every fiber of my spark. I would never do anything to hurt her. What happened a while ago was my mind playing tricks on me. With all honesty, I thought it was Nova in my arms," I delivered my final statement and saw the damage it took on Elita-1.

"He's right Bumblebee," she finally spoke up. "I-I was selfish and I thought that, maybe because of Nova's absence, I could finally find out if his love was real. I can see now that it is. Forgive me. I meant to cause no harm to the relations between the two of you." She looked as if she were on the verge of crying, even though we don't actually cry.

"Yeah, sure," Bumblebee grumbled. He didn't believe her story either, but I could tell that he didn't want to argue any further. He took a step towards me so that he could seem menacing. "But, I swear, you go behind her back again, I won't care that you're the last living Prime, I will end you-," he cut himself off with a violent shudder.

"Hey, hey are you okay?" I grab him by the shoulder and tried snapping him out of it. "Bumblebee, respond to me." He suddenly stops and becomes as stiff as a board. His optics are glazed over.

"We need to take him to Ratchet. This isn't normal behavior," Elita says, checking his reflexes. I was about to pick him up when he fell… no, it was more like pushed… to the ground. But what pushed him was beyond me.

"Bumblebee, are you functioning correctly?" I ask as I help him up. He puts on a frantic look as he searches for the words to say.

"Optimus, I know where she is!" he blurts as an odd mix of happiness and agitation run about on his face plates.

"What? How?" I ask, grabbing him by the arms.

"I'm-I'm not sure, but it's like I was sent some sort of picture from her location. I wasn't looking from her optics, I was looking from someone else's point of view. But, anyway, that's not the point, the picture came with a location. Salt Lake City, Utah." He started standing on his own. **(A/N That's when Jeffy and Nova were shocked.)**

"Wait, how do we know this isn't a trap?" My mind couldn't accept the fact that we had found her so easily, there must've been something that we missed.

"I can't tell for sure, but it looks legit. This is the most information we've ever gotten, we need to act on it quickly. You never know when we might ever get a hold of something like this," he urged. I knew he was right, but I needed to have more reassurance.

"Let's take this to Ratchet. At least we need some proof that it's not a Decepticon trick," I nod and lead the way to the med bay. "Ratchet, we need you to check something," I say as we pass through the doors. He looks up from a few schematics and approaches me with ultimate professionalism.

"What is it, Optimus?" I gesture towards a now shaky Bumblebee.

"He says that he received an image on Nova's location, but it seemed a little unreliable. Not to mention that he almost became a comatose a few moments ago." Ratchet gives him an unannounced scan.

"Ra-chet!" Bumblebee whines childishly, "That's so violating, at least warn me first."

"Oh calm down, stop acting like a diva. It's for your own good," Ratchet replies, writing something down on a data pad. "Besides, would you rather I give you an autopsy?" This made Bumblebee stiffen up a little.

"No. No, no. No, no, no, no," the small mech backs up, shaking his helm and waving his servos in a negative motion. "Just tell me what's wrong already." Ratchet grunted in triumph as he showed us what was happening.

"So, it seems that you're connected to whoever took this picture," he states, projecting the picture for all of us to see. It was of Nova who is being helped up to her feet by someone I've never seen before. But I felt the tense in my body die down as I see that the love of my spark is fine and does not appear to be hurt.

"I-I don't get it. The only person I've ever been synced up with is Nova, and I'm pretty sure we unconnected a long time ago," Bumblebee says as he studies the scene before him.

"Maybe she transferred the connection to whoever took the picture. You said it yourself, Ratchet. Since she's technically a techno-organic, it opens her up to new options," Elita says.

"That's true, but who took this then?" I ask, looking for any indication as to who might be behind the camera.

"Is that who took the picture?" Bumblebee points a finger to the reflection behind Nova. It seems to be a small insection.

"Yes, that very well could be him," Ratchet breathes out. My mind raced around, feeling the restriction of the walls around me and so much wanting to get out already.

"Well, we know it's not a trick anymore, let's go find her," I exclaim, already racing to the door.

"I'm going with you," I hear Bumblebee say perseveringly.

"No, the less that come, the better. I'm not willing to let more 'Bots get into harm's way." I turn to face the young 'Bot.

"What if you get attacked? You and I both know for sure that there will be Decepticons around her, guarding her from us. You're going to need help fighting them off." He steps closer to me, showing that he needs to go.

"I have no plan to engage the Decepticons, and if I do, I'll be able to escape. Besides, you are not in top medical condition, something might happen to you," I put a hand on his shoulder, telling him to stand down.

"What if I get more pictures? And what if she already moved from where she is in that picture? You're going to need me along the way," he barked stubbornly. This young 'Bot really cares for his sister. It's enough for him to completely go against my orders. I sigh before I drop my grip on him.

"All right, you can go, but only if you change that attitude of yours. No matter how much love and dedication you have for your sister will not affect the respect you need to show me," I say strongly. The mech gives me a nod and a determined smile.

We drive along the road at a barely legal speed. Bumblebee is in front of me, following the pictures in his head. We keep getting a few honks from passing cars but it doesn't matter, lives are at stake here. The sun had started from touching the horizon ever so lightly to drowning under our vision. I start to get an odd and uncomfortable sensation in my spark.

"Bumblebee, are we almost there?" I ask him from behind.

"I think so. The readings are getting stronger. She might be in a small vista nearby," he answers.

"We need to pick up the pace, I think something bad is happen-." My spark clenches and I swerve dangerously off road for a few seconds.

"What was that?" he asks me as I regain my grip on the road.

"I-I don't know. But what I do know is that she's in trouble. Where's the vista?" I say, shaking off my discomfort and deciding that I'd deal with that later.

"It's coming up on the right. Over there," he points out.

"All right. I need you to stay back, watch for Decepticons. I'll find her and come out quickly." To my surprise, he didn't bark back as I let my holoform pop up as far as it would let me. For some reason, I had brought her coat with me. Call me crazy, but I had a feeling she was going to need it.

My feet were taking me around the place and I instantly found out that I have no clue where I'm going. But it wasn't hard to find her room. It was the one that had the door broken down and tortured screams erupting from it. From here, I let my animalistic instincts take over as I rushed inside and tackled the horrible monster that brought suffering upon my family. It was a good thing he was caught off guard for I know that he would've fought back. My fist was filled with so much rage that in one solid punch, I managed to knock him out. I could tell he was a holoform so the damage done didn't really signify any harm to his bipedal mode, but at least he had been disabled long enough for us to make an escape.

I look up from that disgusting creature beneath me and see two pairs of broken rings. _Well, that explains the pain in my chest._ I step up and see how terrified she is. My hands find her cold arm and she screams from the touch.

"Shh, shhh. It's me Nova, it's okay," I let out quietly. Her optics peek open and a wave of joyful tears rush to my own optics. I release her of her bindings, and, like a magnet to metal, she came to me. I could feel the abuse from her freezing body. So much had changed about her. For instance, I could feel her ribs and her spine poking out through her skin more than usual. And she was shaking, that's for sure. It was almost like she turned into Sam's chihuahua. "I can't imagine the pain you've been through," I whisper to myself in her ear. "Are you all right? Do you have any pain?" I ask with as much concern as my voice will let out. It looks like she's trying to talk, but nothing is coming out. This worries me, but not as much as the scars and bruises all over her. I grab the trench coat that I knew I had for a good reason and wrapped it around her. "Come on, let's go." I step off the bed and gesture to the outside. She gives me a look that says 'Go ahead'. I get out of that horrid room and wait for her to appear next to me. When she does, I see a small insection peeking from her pocket.

_That insection is a life saver._

"I found something," I tell her to avert her mind from what just happened a while ago, "It looks like it's yours." I held out her rings as she gasps at the damage. "I'll fix it," I reassure her. My arm had yet to leave her side as we walk back to my alt. form. One, because I didn't want to lose her again, and two, because she needed help walking. I hadn't noticed that she was _this_ weak. We reached Bumblebee, who was waiting for us. Before he could pop out and bombard her with questions, I gave him a look that said 'Not now'. He understood and stayed put. I help her into the middle seat as I get into the driver's side. She leant on me and I wrapped an arm around her as we drove home. Involuntarily, my hand found itself wandering to the nearest point of exposed skin. I hadn't realized what I was doing until she yelped and sprung in the opposite direction from the fact that I was tracing circles on her thigh.

"Whoa, hey, sorry, I-I didn't know what I was doing," I say, trying to calm her down. Her breathing hitched a lot but she finally got it under control and put down her guard. "Forgive me, it was a force of habit." She gives me a weary smile as she assumes her position of leaning against me again. In that moment, I learned two different things. She was still weak and was sensitive to everything around her because of what that man had done to her, and that we won't be able to bond until we cover up the scar in her memory banks.

We finally reach home at about 3 or 4 in the morning and I help her to our room. Along the way, many people and Autobots wanted to talk to her, but I shooed them all away. I was making a bee-line straight to our sanctuary, where she could calm down and rest. The moment we enter the room, she lights up with joy as she sees her baby daughter in the arms of an unsuspecting Ironhide.

"I wasn't playing with her… if that's what you're thinking," he lies horribly. "I was just, putting her back. Darn thing was getting on my nerves," he coughed out, trying so hard to regain his strong cover. I saw Nova smile a little at him, even if she's traumatized, she can still catch Ironhide red handed. He passes Bonnie over to her mother and she starts glowing with laughter. Literally, Nova had looked to me for an explanation.

"I'll tell you later. Right now, you need to go to Ratchet for a check-up," I tell her, lightly gesturing towards the door with my arm. She tightens her grip on Bonnie and I let out a breathy laugh. "I don't think he'll mind if we bring her with us."

While we were in the med bay, I had told Ratchet exactly what I saw when I came to the rescue. It brought pain in my spark every time I relived a small moment of it. He gave her a quick scan without telling her, and let's just say that it was a good thing I was holding Bonnie at the time. He took me to his desk and we were talking far enough so Nova couldn't hear exactly what we were saying.

"It seems that she has, as you said, been traumatized," he tells me with a sigh of grief. "What she has gone through is very life changing and could affect her for a long time."

"What do you mean _it_ could affect her?" I ask as I watch her playing with her child.

"I assume you've figured out that she hasn't been talking lately," he says as if he were giving me bad news, which in fact, he was. I nod at his statement. "Well, that a side effect of the trauma. I'm afraid that her brain had shut down her ability to speak. It can happen, but for how long it'll happen, I'm not sure."

"Is that it? Is everything else okay?" I ask, not noticing the uneasiness in my voice.

"Well, only time can tell if there are any other side effects, but until then, I suggest you be very gentle near her. But…" I hated him for saying that word. It only meant there was something far worse to her than it appeared. "… on the physical side to all of this, she is no better. A few ribs are bruised as well as her pelvis. Her weight is unstable and dangerous to her health, I suggest you try and coax her into eating a little more, at least for this week. And, as I'm pretty sure you know, she has multiple scratches and bruises, but nothing too serious." I let a long silence pass between us as I take in the abuse she has gone through.

"All right, I can handle that," I almost whisper. She looks up at me as I near her and I help her back to our room. It's still somewhat dark outside and I tell her to rest. "Here, why don't you change first. Later on, I'll patch you up." She nods and takes her clothes into the bathroom. _Bathroom? She's never felt insecure around me. Why is changing in there?_ My mind settles on the fact that it might be another side effect.

"You're mother has been through too much," I sigh to my baby. She squirms in her small crib and accidently scratches herself. "Aw, you need some mittens don't you? I'll get Ratchet to make you some. But, for now, these will have to do," I say as I grab a pair of new furry socks we had been given and slip them on her hands. She takes a peek at them and starts giggling softly as she rubs them on her face. Nova comes out and sighs at her child, living in that small Halmark moment we were in. I step up to her and give her a gentle hug around the waist. She flinches a little and does again when I cup her cheek, but lowers her heart rate as best she can.

"Is it okay if I kiss you?" I ask, seeing the pain that it might cause her. She takes a small breath to clear the bad memories from her head as she nods. As softly as I can, I connect our lips which she jumps ever so slightly from, but calms herself once more. Every time I try and reposition my lips, I can feel her heart rate pick up in fear. I stop, knowing that this is uncomfortable to her and just lean my forehead onto hers. "Everything will get better, soon. I promise you," I whisper to her with shut optics. Her head travels to the crook of my neck and we stay in that position for a while, taking in as much of each other as we can. I guide her to the bed and we both rest for the remainder of the morning.

* * *

><p>I crack an optic open slowly and see that she is still resting in the spot next to me. But what makes my worry is the fact that she's balled up in a fetal position on the complete opposite side of the bed. I can hear her breathing pick up and in almost no time, she starts gasping and squirming around. I figure that she's just having a bad dream and try to calm her down.<p>

"Nova, Nova, it's okay, you're here with me," I lull as I try pinning her arms down gently. It's not really working as she manages to clip me painfully in the optic. Her back arches as she lets out an ear piercing scream, which finally causes her to sit up and become fully awake. She spots my figure and clings to me, much like she did last night. Her scream had woken Bonnie up and caught the attention of a nearby Lennox.

"Hey, what's going on here? Is someone hurt?" he asks, barging through our door. _I thought I locked that._ He gives me a strange look and my sight wanders to the mirror behind him. I have a black eye.

"No, everything fine, she just had a nightmare," I say and he observes the whimpering femme in my grasp. Bonnie had erupted in tears and got the attention of the protective major.

"Aw, Bonnie, don't cry," he said as he stood over the crib. "If you don't mind…" he gestured towards the baby and I nodded my head.

"It would help." He picked her up and slowly tried putting her back to sleep.

"How's _your_ girl holding up?" he asks me. It was just then I saw the irony of our situation as both of us were soothing crying femmes. I take a peek at her and she looks up at me with a sniffle.

"She's doing better," I mumble with a smile. "You want to go back to sleep?" I ask her. She shakes her head as an answer and I feel pity in her situation. _Her nightmare was so violent that she can't even find peace in her rest._ Bonnie starts calming down and looks at Lennox. She taps his nose with the fuzzy sock-covered hand in curiosity and we all chuckle lightly at that.

"I guess this one's awake, too. Well, if you guys need anything else, don't hesitate to call," he tells us as he returns Bonnie to her crib and exits our room. I turn back to my now calmed Nova.

"Are you hungry?" I ask her. She shakes her head no, but then Ratchet's words come back and echo around my head. "Really? You haven't eaten since yesterday… given the fact that they actually fed you." She shrugged her shoulders and I dropped my head. "Yeah, I'm not taking that as an answer. If you're not going to eat, then at least come outside. There are a lot of people who will be relieved that you're back." She sighs in defeat and finally nods her head. "Good. Go ahead and get dressed, I'll wait for you."

* * *

><p>When she comes out of the bathroom, I find that she dressed herself in a long-sleeve turtleneck with jeans and her gloves.<p>

"Um, are you sure you want to wear that?" I ask, unsure if she's still in her right mind. She nods slowly as she clutches her arms in a defensive pose. "But, it's summer, and we're in California, and it's high noon. Are you positive?" Again she agrees and walks to pick up Bonnie. "All right, whatever you say." The second we enter the mess hall, as if on cue, a swarm of holoforms and a few soldiers walk up to us.

"Nova! You're back!"

"Are you okay?"

"What happened to you?" This was people were basically saying. I felt Nova tense up in the presence of all these people so I stepped in front of her and shooed the others back.

"Please, let's not crowd her. Give some space," I told them. They followed suit. We sat down at a table and, thanks to the conscious's of the others, only a few people sat next to us. Bumblebee, Sideswipe, and Sam.

"Hey, how are ya?" Bumblebee asks, laying a hand on her arm. She involuntarily jerks away, leaving her brother confused. "What's wrong?" I shake my head behind her, telling him to not go on with this topic. They all saw me and understood clearly.

"Wanna know something funny?" Sam changes the topic. She nods innocently. "I think Ironhide has a huge soft spot for little Bonnie. Caught him laughing with her." He snickers at the memory of that and she gives a breathy laugh at the thought.

"PRIME!" I hear across the cafeteria. It was Jetfire, stomping angrily towards me, easily catching the attention of everyone nearby. "Why am I the last to know that my daughter has been missing for the past two days?"

* * *

><p><em> So know the family is all back together again... or are they? <strong>3 reviews or 3 alertsfavorites** are the new goals. I haven't changed them because business is going kinda slow. But we never know you know!_

**_~Replies~_**

**_Sayomi 178: _**_Heheh, Nova's a weird femme. And if you knew half of all the crazy adventures she had, you'd understand why she would fall for Megatron ;). It's obvious that Optimus and her are meant for each other but the universe just isn't letting them. Oh, sigh. Thanks for your support and sorry my update wasn't very "soon."_

**_DarkAngelMel2: _**_Your happiness for the holoforms is exactly what I felt when I was writing my story. I didn't know whether I should be wandering around the interwebs for pictures or if I should focus on writing. At least I managed to get both done. Jeffy shall be explained more in the next chapter and all those shocks were how Bumblebee was getting his information (in case you didn't know :)) I wish he would've killed that creepy triangle already, too. Also, I forgot to mention that she was in the same position as her parents so I'm glad that you picked it up in the story. I wasn't really sure if I made my writing clear enough. And for the last part, she let Megatron free from his trap, even though she felt like it was a bad idea since he is the leader of the Decepticons._

**_Mandipants24: _**_Yeah, you're not the only one traumatized deary._

**_~Don't be a stranger ;D_**


	5. ComLinks

_Hey guys! Sorry for the delay but since it's school season, I'm afraid to say that uploads will slow down considerably. I'll probably only update on weekends :(. Sorry, sorry, sorry! **Check the bottom for goals!**_

**_Alter Ego#3: _**_Whatever, as long as that means you won't have to upload any more crap-chaps._

**_Alter Ego: _**_You know, you are a huge jerk!_

**_Me: _**_Thank you for that justice!_

**_Alter Ego: _**_Here's some more justice. **She doesn't own anything except her imagination!**_

* * *

><p>You know that feeling you get? In the deepest pit in your stomach, right before you decide to do something stupid? Yeah, well I was in that position right now.<p>

Jetfire was scolding Optimus with a fierce passion—or just stubborn agitation. Either way, I couldn't stand to be in the middle of it. Bonnie was beginning to stir in my arms from the volume of her grandfather combined with the violent quivers I was giving off. I wasn't doing that intentionally, it just stuck to my processor and became second nature ever since my… accident. I had to do something about the two mechs fighting—well, more like one mech yelling while the other one observes—and since my throat wouldn't let me utter words, I let it exclaim the only thing it could. Slipping my dear, little child into a confused Bumblebee's arms, I let out a blood-curdling scream.

Yes, it was uncalled for. Yes, it didn't really solve anyone's problems… permanently. But, it _did _get Jetfire to stop his bickering for a moment, even though the entire population of the cafeteria was staring at me like I was a mad-woman. Had I not been so unnerved at the moment, I would have stopped right there and started explaining myself like a responsible, mature femme. Then again, I wasn't in my right mind. I was hyperventilating quite visibly and had stumbled backwards, falling on my aft, my optics roaming wild like a frightened puppy. The looks I received were of confusion and concern. Except Bumblebee's, who knew this routine like the back of his hand. He gave me a look that interpreted into "You're stupid, but I gotta love ya." This was a stunt that I pulled whenever the situation called for a distraction, which wasn't too often, but it still served a great deal when the scenario happened to pop up.

Optimus, who was fairly new to my little "act," had started creeping up to me, trying to calm me down. But that's not the next part of my "play."

I scrambled backwards from the sight of his hand and when he pulled it away, I made a mad dash for the emergency exit. Any sane person would have tried to pursue me with their holoform, considering it was closer to me already, but today, I had stumbled on a speck of luck. Their movement could be heard behind me as most of the holoforms vanished and alt-forms started shifting into their bipedal modes. My plan was simple, run into the thick forest that lined the secluded beach on our N.E.S.T. base. It was far, but nothing I haven't experienced before.

The only thing that made it difficult was my multiple bruises and wounds. For some reason, there were more scrapes and dings on me than I had remembered how I got. The searing pain in my ribs… I remember that. The fresh, deep cuts on my arms that seemed to have wanted to remain fresh with the dank stench of blood… I remember that, too. Although, the cut on my leg that was screaming at me with liquid fire was something I don't remember entirely. It was a cut that nearly made contact with my bone, and I'm almost relieved that I don't know how exactly I've acquired it.

I finally started slowing my pace, barely making it to the forest, and dropped behind the first, thick tree there, away from sight. It was a fun feeling to have the adrenaline kick in and take away some of my pain, but now that I let reality catch up to me, I could feel every bead of sweat and soaked bandages sticking heavily to my clothes.

Optimus had been worried about me wearing a long sleeve turtle neck accompanied by black jeans, but I didn't care. To be honest, I only wore it because of a nagging fear that tugged at the back of my head told me that if I were ever to face the same circumstances as I did on that horrible night, maybe wearing something that left no skin exposed might deflect Starscream from making a repeat offense. I shuddered at the thought and told my processor to never think about it again. _Worst threat of the vorn. _

I waited to hear if the distant mechanical clanks and clunks were gone so I could step out quietly and hide in my room for the rest of the day. However, a certain little object that had been spotted in my peripheral vision caught my attention. It was a cute little storm cloud, wandering above the wide open field all by itself. It was unique. There was a small spot of electricity occasionally circling around it. I stood up and followed it with awe. It's not every day you see a lone storm cloud, let alone one that has lighting surrounding it. In fact, I'm pretty sure that never happens. My common sense decided to give me a little visit but as of right now, I was kind of busy unnoticeably walking dangerously close to the mini outcast.

_Where are your friends, cloud? Surely you can't make it rain without them._ As if responding to my thought, it shot a lightning bolt not two feet away from me. _Well, that was very impolite._ A few things happened in that instant. One, I jumped from the impact of the bolt in the ground. Two, I screamed almost as eerily as I did earlier. Three, the thought of why it decided to hit me and not one of the plentiful trees just on the other side of my terrified body was baffling. And finally, four, when I set my mind to it, I can block out anything I want. It took me some time to realize that I had leapt into an extended servo that belonged to the medic in training, Jolt.

"When Optimus said you started acting a bit odd, I expected to see you curled up in a corner, telling a figment of your imagination to frag off, not running towards a storm cloud, waiting for imminent doom," he said with an annoyed tone and, to my surprise, a bit of amusement. If only my brain could get past the barriers in my vocal chords, I would have made a corny comment about how I just wanted to see what it felt like when he zapped people. Unfortunately, I could not.

A wave of reality hit me once more as I looked towards where he might be taking me, creeping to the edge of his palm to see between his digits, as if that could give me any better insight. I guess the question in my head was projected clearly on my body language because he gave me an answer right away.

"Ratchet wanted to see you. He's worried about your stability." He didn't give any emotion towards his words, which is usually the opposite to his actual personality when he's off duty. I got a little mad at Ratchet's accusation of my mental capacity. _What would he know that I don't?_ I was just as informed upon the anatomy of both humans and Cybertronians alike. Back on Cybertron, I was briefly the CMO myself—albeit a different branch of medicine. Physical therapy, to be exact. Of course, I had been called around the stations until I finally landed in the research and development department, where I worked best. In fact, I remember a time when I was giving Ratchet a few unorthodox tricks to problems that weren't easily solved.

I tried making my getaway from Jolt's comparatively massive servo, but then again, subtlety was never a good idea when you outwardly look desperate. He felt my jitteriness and sensed that my unusual extra observations meant I had a plot waiting in mind. Being the medic-in-training that he is, my actions were spotted easily. His opened palm turned into a closed fist, which left only my shoulders and head sticking out. My comfort level had dropped down near Pit and I started wiggling violently, kicking his servo as best I could.

"Look, Nova, now really isn't the opportune time to rebel. Ratchet needs to check on you, no matter how much you think you know what's going on. Mind you, he's got a lot more experience than the both of us," he let out exasperatedly.

_Shows what you know._ We sigh at the same time, both out of frustration and the inability to keep on persevering. _Sorry, Jolt. I'm not mad at you… or Ratchet._ I decided to pinpoint my anger on the fact that my processor shut down my ability to speak and that I felt weak… all the time. _Being a techno-organic is more trouble than it's worth._

I had ended up in the med bay, much to my demise yet there was still a chance to flee. _Jolt wouldn't expect a sudden attempt at an escape, right? _He slowly put me down on top of one of the Autobot berths. The second I felt the servo—that served to trap—release its tension, I ran like Pit. Thankfully, Jolt was too caught up on the moment to realize what exactly was happening.

The moment it finally hit him, he struggled to catch me. I may not have gone far, but I was still fast. Dodged every horrible excuse of a grab. My position was still on the berth, looking for some way to get down and out. I caught a glimpse of a conveniently placed cord, hanging out for me to grab. It was a few feet from the berth itself and currently, my platform was more than ten feet from the ground. This was another stupid thing I needed to do.

"Jolt, grab her, slaggit!" I heard an angry Ratchet yell. Jolt would've turned around and told him off if he wasn't so preoccupied by the scrambling techno-organic that kept mysteriously eluding his fists.

I finally reached the edge and took a flying leap of faith, spreading my arms gracefully and tucking my legs together, as if I were to dive into a pool.

"NO!" he bellowed, stomping harshly on the ground as he ran for me. The tips of my fingers were barely about to make contact with the life-saving cord when I was suddenly suspended in my place. "Heheh, gotcha," the old medic grumbled triumphantly. I snarled at him, childishly sticking out my tongue. "Don't start that with me," he warned.

"Ew," Jolt muttered while looking at something in his hand, "Femme, you've leaked organic fluids on my servo. Great, I'm going to have fun scrapping that off." Although Jolt may have not thought much of that statement, Ratchet, on the other hand, picked up his helm, confusion creeping onto his face.

"What type of fluids?" he stated directly.

"Blood." It seemed like now was the only time Jolt had any sense in that thick processor of his. His optics widen at the understanding that occurred. They both stared at me, as if expecting something.

_What?_

"How much running did you do?" Ratchet asked with disbelief in his tone. I shrugged my shoulders as a response. That answer wasn't evident to even me.

"Well, I found her by the redwoods. My best guess was that she ran there," Jolt offered. I nodded my head in agreement to that statement.

"Slaggit," he mumbled to himself. "You, femme," he addressed quite rudely, "need to rest. If your bandages can't even contain your blood supply, I can only hope that means you won't drop dead in the next klik." His words gave me a disturbing image and it worsened even more when I saw the glint of happiness in his optic. He wasn't happy that I lost blood, he was happy that I finally got his message to my brain.

I felt him scan me thoroughly without any type of warning, and the affects of that was very violating. I let out a squeak and huddled into fetal position, grabbing almost painfully at his thumb. I looked at him for a split second and saw that he bore the expression of sympathy. He knew as well as I did what happened on that horrid day and yet he still has the nerve to return that violating feeling.

"Force of habit," he explained glumly. If it were anyone else, I would've bitten their armor right then and there, but I saw the honest apologetic feeling that emanated his entire being, and found it in myself to forgive him… for now. "By my readings, the loss of blood wasn't too great. You may feel dizzy from time to time so I suggest you rest after this." The change of subject was nice enough of him, but I had this horrifying feeling that he wasn't done with me.

"So, tell me. Why were you in such a fritz this morning?" he asked, oblivious to a very obvious fact.

_Well, Ratchet, I can't talk anymore so I'll just think of words and you can guess to your sparks content. Good luck! _Even when I can't verbalize sarcasm to my dear, old friend, I can still think it. The look on his face told me he knew I was thinking of a sarcastic comeback right now.

"Well, that's a problem," he sighed.

_Welcome to my world, Captain Obvious._

"I guess that means you are first in line for a new com-link."

_Wait, what?_

"Jolt, prepare one please," he said as he took me to an operating room.

_Whoa, whoa, whoa, Ratchy I'm not getting good vibes from this. _My thoughts are nothing to him if he can't hear it. _Stupid trauma._

"Look, I know that you're not completely comfortable with the idea of this, but we need to talk to you more than we thought and this is the only way. Unless you feel like talking right now?" he asked hopefully.

_Like Pit I will._ I gave him a glare that said "Touch me and die." He ignored it. _You're going to regret placing that thing in my ear. That only means 24/7 sarcasm rolling around in your head!_ If only Ratchet was a mind reader, then he would appreciate my threats for what they were worth.

"Thinking threats at me won't get you anywhere," he said bluntly. This comment threw me off a little.

_Maybe you _are _a mind reader..._

"If you would change into your bipedal, please?" He put me down, waiting for my transformation sequence to ensue. I hadn't thought about it, but now that I have, I've noticed that I haven't been in my bipedal mode for over more than five months.

_This is going to be tricky. _I shakily nodded my head as I tried to get with the rhythm of things. The shifting wasn't very smooth, or graceful at that, but it was completed. A new sensation filled me, one that I haven't felt in a long time. My joints ached at their underuse and I vented heavily, trying to clear out the metaphorical dust in my system.

"I suggest you take it easy, it's been a while since you were last like this," he mumbled from behind his data pad. Jolt took a glance at me as he walked up next to Ratchet with a cart that held tools and a shiny new com-link designed just for me. When his optics made contact with me, he froze, his own optics widening at the sight.

_What? What's wrong?_

He started stuttering a bit as he tried to get Ratchet's attention. "R-ratchet," he whispered in horror.

"What is it?" he said in his usual grumpy tone, his sight not yet leaving the data pad.

"Look," Jolt practically squeaked. He pointed a finger in my direction and Ratchet followed it.

"Oh, Primus," Ratchet gasped. I gave an annoyed sigh and placed my servos on my hips.

_Would someone tell me what's going on already?_

"Nova," Ratchet spoke calmly, "Do you feel any different?" The way he asked me gave off an odd feeling. Like he was trying to approach Megatron without wanting him to know he was there. I shook my head as a response as he grabbed gently by my shoulders.

_Wait a minute. Did you just put your arms on my shoulders? _I looked at his servos in disbelief. _How did you reach up that high? _As slowly as he could, he let out the truth.

"Don't stress yourself, Nova, but—"

"You shrunk," Jolt interrupted. Ratchet gave him one of his reprimanding glares as I started hitching my breaths.

"I said don't stress, Nova. Your systems are still getting used to themselves. You need to calm the Pit down," he said firmly, gripping the sides of my arms as he spoke. I nodded my head in agreement but started whimpering as I did, stifling back horrified tears. "You look exactly the same, nothing is damaged. If you wanted a good estimate, you're about an inch or two shorter than Ironhide."

_What the FRAG? I went from about Optimus' height down to Ironhide's? That's almost 6-or-so feet! Not to mention, Ironhide finally has an advantage over me! Oh, I am so screwed._

"Whoa, hey, that's not exactly calming down," Ratchet said as he observed the speed of my processor. It was about to go into overdrive, almost like what Prowl does when he's been outsmarted. Ratchet signaled Jolt to do something I wasn't sure of. But when he came closer, I caught a glimpse of what was in his hand. A tranquilizer.

_Oh, frag no! _To escape Ratchet's hold, I gave soft punches to his reflex points which allowed him to release his grasp unwillingly. Jolt's guard was let down at the sight of me overpowering the skilled CMO and I used that to my advantage. I grabbed a surprisingly stable arm and flipped over him so that his back was facing me. I quickly jabbed the sensor that controlled the arm he was holding the needle in, and that forced his hand to release it. It dropped, spilling the contents of what was inside.

Ratchet started staggering up again, finally getting the feeling back into his servos, and made a move towards me. He knew as well as I did that I was a horrible fighter. Well, not horrible, just inexperienced. It was sloppy and self-taught. In fact, the only time I was actually taught how to fight hand-to-hand was when I was with Riku, but he didn't teach me much. But just because I barely knew the basics of combat didn't mean I couldn't fight at all. My extensive knowledge of the Cybertronian body helped greatly. All I did was manipulate the offender's body against them. Like I was doing now.

The two of them surrounded me, Jolt armed with his electro-whips while Ratchet had a needle held in his hand. I knew any sudden movement would initiate an attack, so what did I do? I ducked sharply and leapt between them. As I planned, they were a bit confused by my unexpected actions, but not for long. Ratchet tried to stab me with the needle but I dodged it, and pressed against Jolt entire form. I slipped a servo under his and found the mechanism I was looking for. I pulled the right wire which shot out a bolt of energy into Ratchet.

_Sorry, Ratch._

While Jolt was distracted by the sight of himself electrocuting his mentor, I slipped from my place against him and kicked Ratchet's hand which released the needle and I slapped it into one of Jolt's energon lines, paralyzing him in a few kliks. The two dropped simultaneously, one in paralysis, the other glitching from the overdose of energy.

"S-stu-pid f-emme," Ratchet growled. I knew he was contacting Optimus by the silence and dirty glares being sent to me. I had to run, but where?

_Anywhere but here! _That's good logic, right? I headed for the exit and sprinted through the halls. The humans under my feet were almost forgotten, but they seemed to get the idea and headed for the sides of the halls, giving me a path down the middle. I was about to turn the corner when a huge dark figure slammed into me, successfully knocking me into a wall.

"What's the rush, femme?" Ironhide huffed. But then he took a good look at me and a smirk appeared on his face.

I gave him a look that translated into "Shut up, Ironhide! You better shut up now if you know what's good for you!" Unfortunately, that only made him widen his smirk all the more.

"Looks like someone just lost their sparring advantage. Can't wait to meet you out on the field. The odds are finally evened out," he let out a dark chuckle.

_I don't have time for you! I'm trying to hide. _I stepped around him as I tried running again but then found myself in the clutches of the mech I feared would find me. Optimus. _Great, just who I wanted to see._

"Well, you seem as lively as ever," he said with a triumphant smile. His smile disappeared as he noticed my height. "Donating metal, are we?"

_Haha, very funny. Now let me go before Ratchet decides he wants to rewire my servo to my aft! _I squirmed in his grip, trying to wiggle loose, but Optimus knew well of my techniques. He grabbed me by the arms, making sure I couldn't reach him.

"Now, now, there's little use of struggling." He was right, and I gave up. Apparently, my escape had drained me of all my power. As of right now, I was on reserves. My forehead found its way onto his chest, well, more like below it, and it stayed there, in defeat.

_Just take me. _To my surprise, Optimus stayed still for a while. I lifted my head at looked at him, trying to figure out what the holdup was. It felt odd that I had to crane my neck up more than usual to look at him, but when I did, I saw him smiling down on me. _What?_

"I have something for you," he whispered as he stepped back and poked at my chest, revealing my spark chamber. I winced a little at the sudden contact at something that was precious to me, but I quickly reminded myself that this is Optimus, not Starscream. He took something from behind his back and presented it to me. It was my ring. He placed it comfortably around my spark and the second the two items connected, the ring wrapped itself protectively around the exposed spark. "Hope you like it."

_Of course I do!_ I quickly closed my spark chamber and hopped into his servos as he lifted me up so I could look directly into his optics. I let out a giggle as I hugged him tightly. His chuckle vibrated both our chassis's and it tickled me slightly, causing me to squirm in his grasp. I pushed myself off a little so I could look down at him again. I know what he was thinking, he wanted to kiss me but held it back.

Ever since the last time he tried, he was cautious around me. Knowing that my mind was fragile. But I couldn't stand to see him in this type of pain, wanting what he couldn't have. I've seen him in that situation a long time ago and I didn't want to put him in that same scene once more, so I gave the best I could and kissed his forehead instead. This is doing crazy things to his system, I can feel it. All that pent up longing that he can't let loose is going to hurt him.

"Well isn't that a Halmark moment?" Will chuckled as he passed by us. I was too happy to give him a dirty look, curling up in Optimus' chest instead, furthering the Halmark moment. "You should put that picture on your Christmas cards."

_Go ahead, take the picture. I dare you._ I tried slipping from Optimus' grip, but he didn't let me down. In fact, he was starting to carry me somewhere.

"You know, I'm kind of happy with the new look. I couldn't carry you this easily before," he said in an attempt to focus my thoughts somewhere else. It wasn't working. I pushed off of him, looking to where he was taking me. I would've fallen from the distance that was put between us as I craned my neck to see our destination. The only thing holding me to him were my tightly wound legs around his abdomen and his hold on my lower back. "What are you looking for?"

_I don't know. Where are you taking me? _With the new ring around me, he could feel my thoughts, but slightly. It was like having a spark bond, but not as strong. He knew the confusion I had and the small growing fear that was coming to life.

"Hey, don't worry so much. I'm right here," he hummed quietly. I felt a prod through our semi-bond; it felt nice to have something there. No one can live their life alone forever, it's only right to have someone else there to help you. His emotions that lightly drifted across me were enough to take my attention off of where exactly was our destination.

_If this is what a semi-bond feels like, I wonder what a complete one would do to me. _His optics were focused on the path we were taking while I was focused on him. I took in all I could; his features, his mannerisms, and what it felt like he was thinking at the moment. _If only words could travel through our bond._

"What are you thinking?" he asked with a soft chuckle. He finally noticed that I've been studying him. I shook my head and sighed.

_I'm thinking about nothing… and everything. And you._ It was a cool thing to feel; him sending his love, and me doing the same. This is the most relaxed I've ever been since I came back to base.

"Nova!"

_Never mind._

"What was going through your mind, young lady?" Ratchet roared as he stomped towards me.

_You may have been like a father figure to me for as long as I've known you but where do you come off calling me young lady?_ I turned to Optimus, demanding an answer as to why he brought me here. A small wave of sorry emanated from him. He knew I couldn't stay mad at him for long. And besides, he honestly thought that this was for the best. I sighed and let myself down from Optimus' hold.

If I hadn't known better, it looked as if Ratchet were to deactivate me right there. But I wasn't going to let his anger reach that far. I took a step towards him and let my helm drop in defeat.

"Good, you've come to some senses," he said with a small hint of disorientation. He wasn't expecting my willingness to submit. "I promise I won't paralyze you if you promise you won't dislocate our servos. I have enough to worry about with Jolt running amuck." I smiled and picked my frame up a little at his attempt of a joke.

"Why exactly did she run off?" Optimus asked and we all turned to face him with our attention.

"Well, she started panicking about the change of height and we tried to calm her down, to no avail." I nodded bashfully as Optimus gave me an easygoing look. "Of course, now that she's here, I need to put her under a medically induced stasis so I can install the new com-link." My attention snapped back to Ratchet who quickly injected something into my main line.

_You dirty, conniving, half-bit glitch! You fragging lied to… _And then all I knew was darkness.

* * *

><p>"Nova, wake up. There's someone who wants to see you," I heard foggily through my audio receptors. My optics shuttered open and landed on a familiar face. Bumblebee's holoform. I rubbed my helm and looked at him for some answers as to what happened. I wasn't really sure of where I was or what I was doing there.<p>

"You're in the recovery bay. Ratchet installed the new com-link," he stated blankly.

_Oh yeah, I wanted to kill him. Now I remember. _I started getting up, ready to plot my revenge, but Bee stopped me with a foot on my arm.

"You need some rest, you can kill him later." How did he know what I wanted to do? "For now, your daughter wants to see you," he said as he held up a squirming little Bonnie. I sighed with content and forgot my mission as I saw her, giggling at the sight of her femme creator. She may have been young, but for some odd reason, she knew exactly who I was, even though I was still in my bipedal mode.

I shifted groggily down to my alt. form and staggered my way to my baby. I cooed at the jittery little girl in my arms. She still had the fuzzy socks on her arms from yesterday.

Her chest started glowing strangely as I neared her and my head shot up to Bee. He looked at me with widened optics and I glared at him for an explanation.

"Well, um, Nova. About that…" he started awkwardly. I took the traditional annoyed, mommy stance. One hand on my hip as my foot tapped impatiently. "Bonnie. She isn't exactly… human," he stumbled out again.

_What? How can she not be human? She's squishy! _There was so much confusion in my body that I accidently let a bit slip through my bond. It was returned with a soft feeling of concern. _Not now, Optimus._

"Ratchet said that she's a techno-organic, like you. With a few differences, of course." He started rubbing her stomach and she glowed brighter. My optics drifted from him to the happiness my little darling had.

_I guess it's not so bad, at least she won't live life defenseless._

"Well, I see someone is up," Ratchet says in a relatively calmer fashion than before. He sat on a chair that was next to the berth. "Hope there are no hard feelings, I had to do that for your safety."

_Do what? Knock me out by attacking me? That's low Ratchet, even for you. _I hugged my child and turned slightly away from Ratchet to show that I felt like ignoring him.

::Don't be like that. I truly am sorry,:: I heard in my head, causing me to stiffen a little while turning to Ratchet.

"Yes, that was me. Just testing out the new com-link. Optimus and I have top priority on it so even if you open up a private line, the both of us can hear it if we choose to." He shrugged his shoulders as if it was no big deal.

::Oh, yeah, because listening into private conversations isn't creepy,:: I said through the link. Apparently, I can talk, just not physically.

"It's good to hear your voice again," he chuckled with relief.

::Yeah, yeah. Don't get too proud. One day, I'm going to figure out how to manipulate this device to my own well being. And when that day comes, you'll regret ever installing this device in my ear.:: It was an empty threat but it still felt good to know that someone finally received it.

"Okay, so—um what's going on?" Bumblebee asked as he saw that Ratchet was having a one-sided conversation.

"The com-link is working at your sister is threatening me. That's what's happening," he chuckled again at my stubborn motions.

"You're talking? Or… more like thinking, but that's beside the point. You're talking?" he exclaimed as he tried to give me a hug. I flinched from it again and saw the disappointed look in his face.

::Tell him to take it slow. I just got back from Starscream mauling me, I don't really like the idea of abrupt contact,:: I told Ratchet. He nodded and faced Bumblebee.

"She's still a little fresh with trauma. I suggest not attacking her with hugs, no matter how positive your intentions are," he grunted as he left us alone to work on the other com-links.

"Sorry, sis. You know how it gets," he offered bashfully as he eased into a hug this time.

_It's okay, Baby 'Bot. _When I thought out Sideswipe and Sunstreaker's nickname for Bumblebee, I remembered something. Before Bonnie, he was the last youngling. Maybe our race isn't as doomed as everyone thinks.

::Hey, heard you were online. Would you like to share some words?:: Optimus asked. I could feel the longing in his spark and it was impossible to deny him any further.

::Let's see, it's been about a week that I haven't talked to you so I do have a few words I _would_ like to share. First, I love you so much and I've missed you. Second, thanks for saving me. Third, did _you_ know our baby is a techno-organic?:: His happiness from the sound of my voice brushed past my spark.

::I love you, too. You're welcome. And, yes, I did,:: he answered promptly. ::Ratchet said that that's the reason she's able to laugh already. It's progressing her growth.::

::So much explained.:: I thought about it for a moment and realized that I was alone in the recovery bay.

_Huh, when did he leave?_

::Anyway, since we have a new techno-organic, Ratchet should make some gloves for her, too,:: I told him as I bounced her around gently.

::Already asked him,:: he answered. ::Said that he'll get on it as soon as we find Wheeljack, assuming that he's on his way here.::

::All right, Nova out,:: I said, dismissing the conversation. I climbed my way down, trying carefully not to agitate Bonnie. There was nothing else to do so I went outside, where my search for that peculiar storm cloud began. Maybe it was still there.

As expected, it was waiting for me. I walked up as far as I would go so that it couldn't hit me with another lightning bolt. We observed it for a while, watching it move in unusual ways. Bonnie was watching too, except she was entranced by the electricity surrounding it. Then, all of a sudden, there was a whistling noise that came from the sky. I stood up with alert going through my processor. There were three projectiles falling towards Earth. All three were lined up in a triangle around the cloud.

::Optimus, Ratchet, come in!:: I yelled over to both of them.

::What's wrong?.::

::State your emergency.::

::Three projectiles falling through the atmosphere. I'm assuming that they're Autobots, given their signature, but I can't tell for sure. Bring the squad, and hurry, they're coming in quick.:: I took a few steps back to protect Bonnie from the debris that might splash over towards us. We instantly found refuge behind a boulder.

They all came crashing down and I felt the ground shaking from impact. Peeking a head out and my attention turned to the damage. Two of them came out smoothly while the other was having a difficult time. I recognized their faces, Mirage and Wheeljack. My frame picked up as I ran from my hiding spot with a newfound sense of hope.

"Now who might this be?" Wheeljack said in Cybertronian as he knelt down to take a good look at me.

"Don't touch it, it looks filthy," Mirage grunted. I moved my glare towards him and growled a little. "Does it understand us?" he asks, looking a bit surprised. I turned my head towards Wheeljack and motioned him to come forward and hold my child. He did so willingly, observing the mini-human. It was hard to trust him holding her, mostly because of his reputation of blowing things up, but I needed to make sure she was out of the way as I transformed. I didn't even wait for myself to be fully shifted as my body paced towards Mirage and threatened his words with my cannon. "Whoa, Nova! Hold on, don't point that thing at me!"

"Hey, Nova, did you shrink?" Wheeljack piped up from behind me. I nodded as I put my gun away and went back to grab my baby. "Is that an Earth thing, to shrink?"

I shook "No." Before he could ask me more questions, my digit pointed to the third protoform, struggling to get up.

"Oh no," Mirage gasped. I slid Bonnie into a safe place in my spark chamber where she wouldn't move around so much as Mirage led me to the mech in pain. Wheeljack trotted next to me and I gave him a questioning look that he was able to answer easily.

"It's Sunstreaker. And he's not looking too good."

* * *

><p><em>Yep, cliff hanger. That's what this is. Cool, huh? Like I said, I think I might be updating only on weekends for now because of... school. *shudder* <strong>4 reviews or 3 favsalerts.** I put more this time because I'm giving you guys an entire week to read this. _

**_~Replies~_**

**_Mandipants24: _**_Give it up already! Riku is dead! Whoa, sorry for yelling heheh. P.S. Nova sends her thanks to you for your concern._

**_bee-roxs98: _**_Yes, yes he will be._

**_DarkAngelMel2: _**_Heheh, sorry I couldn't really put Jeffy in this story. But he honestly will be at some point, when all is explained. For now he's chillin' in the med bay, poking at things he shouldn't and Ratchet still doesn't know. And yes, thank you for killing Starscream! Although, I kinda need him back for a bit :). Ironhide is just lucky that Nova's decided that he won't pull out his cannons around Bonnie. Jetfire, poor single-minded Jetfire. He has a right to yell, I mean, he hasn't seen his daughter in such a long time, but still. Last but not least, Bonnie is only a few weeks old but since she's a techo-organic, she's progressing quite quickly. Thanks for your support!_

**_Aislynn Sparrow: _**_Thanks for liking my series! You should definitely watch the other two movies and compare it to my story, it's gonna feel trippy, heheh. I'm currently working on a new story (as said on my profile) and I shall put in your request as the first chapter. (Just cuz you asked so nicely :))_

**_~Don't be a stranger ;D_**


	6. It All Falls Down

_Wassup my readers? Yes this update took longer than you may have been anticipating, but only because the goals have not been met. But I didn't want my regular readers to suffer so, why not? This **was** supposed to be part of the next chapter, but it ended up being 8000 words like my other chapter and that is something up of which I shall not put, so, sorry if this leaves you guys kinda confused, y'all just have to wait for the next chappy.** Don't forget the goals down at le bottom! Also, the POV will skip around a lot for the rest of the chapters so the Pt. 2 thing isn't going to be applied anymore.**_

**_Alter Ego#3: _**_ I didn't even notice you were gone._

**_Alter Ego#2: _**_OMG! What happened to you? Are you okay? You left for so long!_

**_Me: _**_Um, actually I was just here, chillin'. O_o_

**_Alter Ego#2: _**_Well, don't ever scare me like that again!_

**_Me: _**_You just want to say the disclaimer again, don't you?_

**_Alter Ego#2: **She don't own dip, so back off copyright people! **_**_Heehee, thanks!_

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><p>I dashed to his side, checking his vitals as he struggled to get up.<p>

_I've been hanging around Ratchet for too long. _

His systems made an odd whirring sound, as if they were being forced around. Suddenly, the sound stopped and the tension left his form.

_Sunny! Oh Primus, Sunny get up!_ He was still trapped in his "egg" form. So far, he's only got his head and one arm free. I cupped his helm, checking to see if he was well enough to at least make some optic-contact. As expected, he didn't. His optics were too far and hazy to be able to focus on anything.

_Great. Now it's up to me._

"Nova, do you know what you're doing?" Wheeljack asked from behind me as he observed my motions. I shot him a quick death glare and he stiffened up, quickly regretting his words. "Okay, okay, just checking. Don't want to kill the front liner ya know."

Ignoring his words, I went to work as fast as I would dare. First step was to help him out of his cocoon. This was done by slowly pushing pressure points that would release his limbs. His hydraulics were very audible when each appendage was released. As I scrambled to free his other arm, he let out a yelp of pain.

"S-Side-s-swi-pe," he grunted out through clenched teeth. He felt his brother's presence here. But, of course, why wouldn't he? They _are _on the same planet. He was probably calling him out through their bond.

_Yes, yes, he'll be here soon. Just please stop squirming so I can fix you! _I pulled out an emergency kit that was stowed away in my arm. Even if I wasn't a medic, Ratchet knew better than to not consider me as one. We were scarce of medic-bots, so, the more the merrier. I took the extra piece of scrap metal that was there. It won't hold up for long, but it was enough to last him a trip over to the med bay. With a torch, it was welded firmly into place, stopping the excessive flow of energon from spilling over.

"Is that it, is he done? He's still expelling energon," Wheeljack spoke up again. I turned around and gave him more of an annoyed glare this time. He was smart enough to know that I can't work with him badgering me all the time. "Fine, I'll leave ya alone."

"Good luck," Mirage huffed as the two mechs behind me turned their attention to the Autobots who were pulling up. Of course, Sideswipe was speeding through them, making him the first to reach us.

"Oh Primus, Sunny. Live, frag it!" he yelled as he started hovering over my work area. I brushed the annoying pest away with a servo, making him give me some space. I stepped up to Sunstreaker's helm, opening it up so I could access its contents. "Wait—what are you doing? He's not _that_ damaged, is he?" Sideswipe was starting to get hysterical.

I rolled my optics and abandoned the borderline Sunstreaker in front of me so a little focus could be put on Sides. I gripped his shoulder and forced him to make contact with me. My digit pointed towards his spark, over to Sunstreaker's.

_Stay connected with his bond. Don't lose him! _Thank Primus, Sides got the message. He nodded and grabbed the mech's hand. He stared at his twin with concern, obviously trying to keep him online. I went back to Sunny's processor and searched for the glitch that was messing it up. Searching around resulted in me connecting a few wires that came loose as I went. Finally, a small shard made itself visible to me and revealed that it was dangerously close to his spinal strut.

_Sorry Sides, I need to put him under for a little bit. _I found a needle in my emergency kit and injected a nearby energon pipe.

"W-what are you doing? He's getting further away from me! What's happening?" Sides started to panic again. I gave him the empty needle so he could read what I put in. "You shut him in stasis?" He started again with his hysterical-ness. I was tired with his constant agitation so I reached over to him and quickly clipped a wire on his vocal processor.

"What did you do?" Mirage asked, noticing the now silent, but still annoyed, Sideswipe. He was flailing his arms around, as if that would do anything to get his voice back.

"Heheh. It seems that Nova has temporarily shut off his vocals. Sly femme," Wheeljack chuckled. Sideswipe snarled at him, daring him to go on.

_Mechs are such idiots._ I carefully picked out the shard that punctured his processor and wrapped the wound up with a small scrap so it would be supported until it healed naturally. It was then that the other finally showed up. I closed up his helm and picked him up to deposit is lifeless body to Ratchet.

::I didn't kill him, if that's what you're thinking,:: I said with some relief in my tone.

::Put him under?::

::Yup. His spark beat was strong enough for it. But be careful with his helm, I found an obstruction near his spinal strut. Did the best I could to patch it up, but one wrong move could end up in paralysis.:: He nodded in conformation as he took the body gently.

::I know that this was an emergency procedure, but next time, leave the brain surgery to the surgeon.::

::All right, then next time you'll be responsible for the death of an innocent mech,:: I answered, making sure he knew that I would do anything to keep a fellow comrade alive.

::Point taken, but don't get ahead of yourself, arrogance is what gets 'Bots in trouble,:: he answers light-heartedly as he makes his way back to the med bay.

::Tell that to Sunny.:: I found a team of humans jogging up to us, mini data pads in hand, getting ready to approach the new Autobots behind me. I spotted Mizuki within the crowd and stopped her with an extended servo.

"What's up, Nova?" She stepped onto it and I brought her slowly to my spark chamber. My armor opened up and a small Bonnie—who is still in the snug cubby hole I put her in earlier—was safely picked out.

"Aw, Bonnie," she cooed as I handed her my daughter. "It's been a while since I've seen you, little girl." Bonnie emitted a small gurgle from the presence of her aunt. Right after they were put down, Sideswipe approached me. I wasn't ready to see him so close to me, and in turn, I had fallen backwards from the fright. Ironhide caught me but the contact from him made me flinch forward, bumping back into Sides, which made my reflexes push back towards Ironhide. Thankfully, I stopped myself before I became a volleyball. The two stared with wary, widened optics.

"What… happened?" Ironhide said slowly as he looked to Sides for an answer. He shrugged his shoulders and moved his lip plates to answer, but no sounds came from his throat. Ironhide let out a half laugh, half cough as he realized the younger mech's predicament. "You let her shut down your vocals?"

Sideswipe's temper got the best of him at that point and he pulled out his blades. He took a stance that signaled he wanted to fight this out. Ironhide rolled out his cannons and mimicked his pose.

"So, it's a battle you want?" Ironhide grumbled with a devious smirk. Sideswipe growled as he stepped forward. This couldn't happen, not now, so I tried stepping in the middle of their fight. But, as soon as I put my foot between them, Sideswipe wheeled my other foot out of the way, so I ended up just crossing between them.

_Oh, this is _not _how this is going down! _With newfound rage, I zipped in front of Sideswipe, shoved my servos into the small openings that held his blades, and quickly detached them before he could react. Ironhide saw his chance to strike, so I turned around and gave him a good sweep in the face with my foot. My hands were currently useless, Sides' blades are heavier than they look.

Before the two would gather themselves again, I picked up his blades as best I could and pointed it at both of them.

"Whoa, okay, I get it, no fighting… for now. Meet me in the range if you ever mech up, Sides," Ironhide offered mischievously. Sideswipe grunted in forced approval. I huffed all the air I didn't know I've been holding in as I drop the blades that are still attached to my servos.

_How do you carry those things? _My tired and bent over position made the silver mech chuckle as he stepped to me, helping me straighten out my posture. He slipped his servos back into that small opening that was there and clicked them into their rightful place. As he put them away, he crossed his servos across his chest and waited impatiently for something.

_Oh yeah, you're voice. I forgot._ I gave him a bashful smile as I reached and attached the wire back on his vocal processor.

"Thank you," he enunciated sarcastically. "You do _not_ know what it feels like to have your voice taken away."

_Oh really? Try me…_ Instead of trying to make him understand, some air cycled through me and my helm dropped disapprovingly. I grabbed his shoulders, turned him around, and started pushing him towards base, letting him guide me there as I slowly trekked behind him. Once all the adrenaline left me, it was obvious that I was more tired than I thought. Sideswipe could feel my stress through the way I was heavily leaning on him.

"Hey, you know what?" I dragged my helm up to try and meet his optics. "Since you saved my brother, how 'bout I give you a lift back?" He laughed softly at my drowsiness. I shook my head and pointed to Optimus. "Oh, so I'm not good enough for you?" he joked. I smiled wearily and used whatever strength I had left to cough up a laugh. "Heheh, I get it. Come on." He lead me to Optimus and the second I felt the safety of his grasp, I let myself drop into his hold.

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><p><strong>(Third Person POV: A few hours later)<strong>

The old medic was busying himself with replacing the make-shift holds Nova had placed on Sunstreaker earlier. Optimus walked in, looking a mix between tired, confused, and straight up wanting someone to talk to.

"Hello, Prime. Did you need something?" Ratchet asked, sparing a momentary glance at the mech creeping slowly into the bay.

"Why would there be something I need in order to visit an old friend?" he retorted awkwardly. Ratchet paused in his doings and turned around to give his comrade a knowing look.

"Really? Since I am as old of a friend as you claim, obviously you know that I'd know better than that," Ratchet stated as he shook his head, disappointed in the feeble attempt at an excuse. "I know you, Prime, what's wrong?" He asked, turning back to the golden mech that lay deep in stasis.

"Well, I, um, needed an opinion," he stumbled out. He tried keeping his emotions calm, fearing that if he overwhelmed himself, it might flow over towards the resting Nova.

"Do you mean a personal opinion, or a medical opinion?" Ratchet easily divided his attention between his patient and his friend, not missing a single beat.

Optimus was having a bit of trouble trying to pry his words out. Sure, Ratchet may have been someone he can easily trust his life with, but he's not usually the easiest person to talk to. If he could, Optimus would be sweating bullets right now.

"It's a little bit of both, actually," he tried easing in the news.

"Slaggit, Prime, stop being so vague. It might work on a crowd, but if you want my honest opinion, I need facts. Get straight to the point," he muttered exhaustedly. Ratchet couldn't take much more of the circle talk. He had enough problems with the smaller twins running amuck, now he had a whole new set of twins to keep an optic on.

"Okay, calm down. I've just been thinking…"

"Haven't we all?"

"… that Nova is becoming a big target, being the only femme with a known location and all…"

"Go on."

"… I think… the only way of keeping her safe—at least in some sense, in one way or another—"

"Out with it, already!"

"Maybe the two of us should bond," he said quickly, wincing a little at the speed his words came out. The two mechs in the room seemed to have frozen, waiting for the other to react. What were mere kliks felt like joors upon endless joors. Finally, Ratchet worked up the gall to break the news.

"Now, Optimus—"

"Wait, please hear me out. The reason Decepticons are after her is because of her untouched spark, and if we bond, that's one less reason for her to be a target!" the leader reasoned.

"You're missing the point, Prime. It is a valid argument, but don't forget, she just came back from a distressing experience. I cannot underline this basis far enough. You might, literally, break her processor from the conflict she'll experience," he sighed. They let a few more kliks of awkward silence pass through.

"S-so, you're sure? It's too soon? I mean, she's certainly been more active since then… relatively," Optimus asked, making sure that he heard correctly.

"Well, if you're certain that she's okay with it… It's really your call, Optimus. You know her better than I do, after all. Just try and be gentle," the medic finally established. Ratchet felt a little apprehensive about letting Optimus believe this. If anything were to go wrong, it would be partly his fault. No one would be able to stand the guilt of hurting a friend, especially one that's been through so much trauma.

Optimus, on the other hand, felt relieved. He could barely contain his emotions as he tried to pace out of the med bay. It's as if he's been given the permission he's been looking for. Finally, he would have Nova as his sparkmate, and she would be that much safer. Not to mention, of the sparklings that they may have, one could be the new Prime. So much hope is riding on this one moment.

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><p><strong>(Nova's POV)<strong>

My optics fluttered open to a strange place. It felt dark and depressing. There were so many unrecognizable items along the walls, if what I was looking at _were_ walls. I knew one thing for sure while in this room… I'm not at home. A dingy stench wafted throughout what seemed to be a cave. It penetrated my nose in the most violating way I could ever have felt. So much so that it brought a tear to my optic. The ambience felt scary. A shade of red echoing around the place.

I tried to get up from my bed to find that I was strapped in by some sort of invisible force. I couldn't move, no matter how much strength I used. My abilities to transform had left me as well. Panic began to build up at the base of my chest, and I felt it getting ready to let out a scream. The temperature of the forsaken cave started rising, and sweat appeared on various places of my body. I turned my head as best I could and saw that the floor was absent. It was filled with a bright, searing flood of lava. No, not lava… molten metal.

"Welcome back, traitor," a cackling voice boomed. The source of the voice was unknown, which made it all the more terrifying.

"W-what do you want?" I echoed, obviously horrified. The sound of my whimpering made whoever it was howl with more evil laughter.

"Isn't it obvious by now, you little pest? What I want are soldiers, bred to be unbreakable," he declared rather egotistically. The owner of the voice appeared at last, revealing him to be the man—or shall I say, mech—that I wished so desperately to never encounter again. Starscream. But, it wasn't him. It had the same voice, same mannerisms, and same attitude, but he looked different. More evil, if that was even possible. His entire form was so distorted and devil-like that I couldn't recognize him anymore.

"You know that no one has the power to give birth to an army, never mind that they would be born 'unbreakable,'" I spat with a wave of random defiance, which I instantly regretted.

"Fool, that is why I have this." He flashed a shiny little needle that seemed to grow bigger with every klik. I didn't know what it was, or if it would hurt me, I just knew that I should be afraid of it. "This will be injected straight into your spark, and it will accelerate certain chemicals. A super-adrenaline shot, if you will," he snickered creepily. "And yes, it will hurt. Just because I want it to."

"No! Megatron will stop you! He's your superior, he'd never let you do this without a fight!" I screamed, hoping with all hope that my statement was correct.

"Did you not see the display upon my walls?" He gestured to my right, and sure enough, there was the corpse of Megatron, hollowed out and nailed to this glorified dungeon. My spark twisted in its place, seeing someone who I had trusted before, ruined beyond acceptability. "I was tired of following him to his doom, so I simply gave him his justice and took the operation in more capable hands."

"N-no. NO!" My mind searched through scrambled thoughts as I'd tried to think my way out of this. "Op-Optimus! He'll stop you! He's on his way now, I know it!" Again, he gave a horrible chuckle.

"Your stupid little Prime? Obviously, you need a tour of my palace," he said smugly as he gestured to a spot just under Megatron. "One less pest to bother me." I saw a few spare parts under there, but didn't know exactly what he was talking about. I turned my vision back to the not-Starscream, but something caught my eye. Red flames over a blue base-coat. _That half-bit, bolt-bag dismantled him!_ I could even see a vague form that once was his helm, and it was melting in the liquid fire. That picture burned a hole in my heart, and I'd do anything to let the doppelganger know that.

"YOU GLITCH-PROCCESSED FRAGGER!" I screeched as loud as my vocals could afford. The pure rage and defeat in my body helped push me up a little, but was easily shot down once more. The faux Starscream had returned to his chuckling and glided over to my side, hovering mere inches above my face.

"There's no one left to save you now," he said in a giddy voice. I was about to use whatever leeway I had from the lack of restraints in my head to bite him when he ripped my shirt off, not sparing any flesh at his brutal fingers. I let out a stomach-churning shriek as he let his claws off me. With every pained gesture, he countered with a maniacal laugh. When he backed away from me, ever so slightly, I thought it was over. I guess I shouldn't heighten my standards so much.

He lunged forward and stabbed my spark with the large medical syringe, twisting it in my flesh as barbarically as he could. My chest was on fire as I let out a sustaining scream that only burned my throat, adding on to my pain. My optics clenched closed as tight as physics would allow, shutting out the horrors of the world. I felt him grabbing my arms, shaking me almost violently.

"Nova, NOVA!" I heard foggily through one audio. The recently shut optic dared to open, searching for the owner of that angelic voice. The restraints on me shook free and I shot up, engulfed in a warm, loving feeling. "Nova, it's okay, I'm here. Everything is fine."

The tension left my body almost instantly at the feeling of those cool words brushed past my ear. I opened my optics once more, realizing that the demonic cave had vanished, along with the Starscream impressionist and the remains of mechs I knew. A mental scan of my surroundings found that Optimus was holding me, and that I was subconsciously biting his shoulder to release the pain.

"Hey, you have a good grip over there," he chuckled sarcastically. I released my jaws apologetically and buried my head further into his chest. "Everything is okay; you were just having another nightmare. It sounded brutal. Your screams woke up Bonnie again, and she's two hallways down in the rec. room." I gripped tighter around his body, only to flinch back in pain. There was something on my chest and I dared to release my grip to inspect it.

"You were scratching at your chest when I came in. It looked like you were trying to remove something that was there," he stated as he ran a gentle hand around my ripped clothing. I winced slightly when he accidently touched a sore spot. "Sorry. Are you okay?" I dipped my head in a response, sniffling up a few of my tears. His unoccupied hand reached for my face, wiping away the few drops that held my terror. The hand that drifted across my chest, with intent to sooth it, slowly turned into a hand that wanted more.

It danced across my side and down my ribcage, gradually holding me closer. For once, I didn't feel like fighting it back, I felt like letting it happen. I allowed him access to whatever he desired at the moment, finding that it calmed the both of us. Before, his touch reminded me of that disgusting Decepticon, but now, there was a clear difference. He caressed every nook he could find, massaging away my pain. His lips started at my neck, which I stretched out for him. Lust overflowed both our bonds, tickling my spark ever so lightly.

My arms wrapped around him, too, but were still weak. I guided his head along its path towards my lips. The both of us were hesitant when that bridge was to be crossed. I gazed down into his optics, him watching me for my approval. I didn't want to wait and build tension, so I connected the kiss myself. Jumping unnoticeably at first, but then easing into the rhythm of things once more.

The both of us started reclining back into the structure of the bed; he was firmly moving my body down, careful to not make harsh contact with my chest. The hand that was cupping my face, dragged itself downwards, stopping at every curve. It paused at the end of my shirt, slipping itself under the fabric and slowly brought it up. I winced once more at the contact of our skin, quickly reminding myself that I was in the capable grasp of my beloved, not he-who-shall-remain-unnamed.

My spark started beating furiously, but not from pleasure, from pain. This was too overwhelming, even for me. It took all I had to not let the pain rush through the bond. Optimus made his way to the beginning of my chest, willing me to open my spark chamber. Although, that only made me panic all the more. Slowly, his image was burning into the evil Decepticon's. I could hear my processor whirring with confusion in the silence, causing me to finally break the wall that I tried so hard to keep up. I gasped, throwing myself as far as I could. My pitiful frame ended up leaning on Bonnie's crib, crying harder than before.

"No, no, don't cry, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have forced you like that," Optimus tried consoling. He crawled beside me, reaching a hand to comfort me, but I dodged it and hopped back on the bed, intent on staying as far away as I can. The fear and agony that I had was mixed with the regret and sorrow _he _had. It was obvious that he felt horrible about causing _me _the torment he had tried so hard to discard. "I-I…" he stopped when he saw that I ducked at his every move. My delicate processor had somehow stuck onto the fear I felt around that evil corn-chip and replaced it with the mech I had once looked up to for protection.

It was distressing to feel as the conflict was running my systems full on. My spark was beating faster, my muscles were shivering under the pressure, and the heat from my body just wasn't present anymore. My thoughts had mushed together sloppily and yet came up with a horrible decision. The mech I saw before me was no longer the one I loved… it was a representation of all my worries. It had no soul, it had no kindness, it had no second thoughts. The mech known as Optimus was lost to me, he was brutally replaced by this… thing… that had only wanted to cause me harm.

A monster.

"No, Nova, don't be scared," it said, but I couldn't understand it. Its words pierced my audios and crumpled my strength. The glowing ring on my finger had dulled its lights for a moment then brightened to the fullest extent. The result of that was my ring shattering into dust, as it was rejected by my spark. "P-please, please, don't," it hissed again. And once more, I didn't comprehend. The sounds came at me like echoes in my head. Through whatever miracle that had shown upon me, the thing left, without so much as a single word more.

* * *

><p><em>This last bit will be cleared up in the next chapter so please to have patience! Thanks! <strong>3 reviews or 4 alertsfavorites!**_

**_~Replies~_**

**_bee-roxs98: _**_Nova saved him! Yay! Your- I mean, Sunstreaker is going to be a'okay. P.S. It's a good thing that you didn't shrink then, because Nova is not liking the taunting looks she's getting from Mirage and Wheeljack._

**_Dreaming Out Loud since '98: _**_Welcome to le world of having a profile! Heheh. The new story will take some time because I am mainly focusing on this one, but it will be out, nonetheless. Do not to be worrying for your particular chapter is under construction as of right now ;). Love ya too!_

**_DarkAngelMel2: _**_I think everyone hates Starscream, if only he were real so we could torture him to the fullest extent, but alls I gots is my stories, and believe me when I say that justice is always served (*wink-wink*). Nova's a little on edge lately, so running really is the only thing on her mind as of late. Taking down Ratchet and Jolt was something she's always wanted to do. Darn medics can be so annoying. Yes, Ironhide would, will, and did do that. He took whatever chance he got at trying to finally get one step ahead of her as they've always been doing. To say he was almost happy about her new height would be an understatement. She **was** happy that she got her ring back, now she lost it again :(. Don't worry, ol' Megsy will be back in due time. I'm not done with this love triangle (*mischievous smirk*). Mirage has always been getting Nova frustrated with his 'remarks' on how everything is wrong in his optics. Meeting him again was a little rough for her. No matter how much of this war he fights, he will always want to live in his old pampered life style and he will do what it takes to get back to that, even if it means using some imagination. Yay, Sunny's all patched up... well, mostly. _

**_~Don't be a stranger ;D_**


	7. Broken Relationships

_ Hey guys! Sorry for slight delay but I have obtained a new beta, __Ryle Culler__, who I cannot thank enough for being so nice as to help me fix up my story. This chapter has been beta approved! The POVs are going to get real nutty in this chapter so please bear with me. __**Everything happens for a reason**__ so if it feels like it's getting slow, just remember that nothing will go unnoticed. Thanks again for your support and __**Goals are down below!**_

* * *

><p><strong>(Optimus' POV)<strong>

I saw her there; emotion, bare to the core. There was no strong front, there were no false smiles, only true feelings. And she was weak. I don't know what had happened, but she looked at me as if I'm explaining her death with gruesome detail. Every move I make causes her to flinch in pain. Even the ring that she had once treasured with her life disposed of itself, refused by her body. The hurt that shone from her reflected on me. _What have I done to let you suffer so much?_

I dragged myself out of the room, hoping it'll give her some well deserved peace. The emptiness of her missing bond left me unbalanced. It may not have been a full-on bond, but it still left a mark. I couldn't tell what I was feeling at the moment, or where exactly I was going. I just let my feet and confusion lead the way. The mix of emotions in me narrowed themselves down to anger, hurt, loss, and regret. Mostly anger… at myself, for letting things conclude to where they have now.

_I'm so stupid!_

BANG!

I punched a wall with the rage that built up inside of me. Patience was usually my thing, but now, I didn't care. No one can blame me for hating myself. _I should've listened to Ratchet. _I stopped in my tracks and knew where I had to go now. Ratchet. _He'd know what to do, he can help her._ I paced myself over towards his office, opening the frail wooden door with a more collected manner.

"Ratchet?"

"You broke her, didn't you?" the medic stated blankly. I took a quivering sigh as I nodded shamefully. "What did I tell you?" he let out with a huff of air. I'm pretty sure the question was rhetorical, but he left enough silence to make me feel like I should have said something.

"Um—"

"Did you do it?"

"What?"

"Did you do it?" he repeated, pressing slightly for answers, "Did you bond? How'd she react?"

"Oh, well, actually, I didn't get the chance. Something happened that I can't really explain."

"Well, you kind of have to try," he said, rushing me with a gesture of his hand.

"Um, okay, well, at first, she was okay. There was no sign of harm at all. Then, I was about to open her spark chamber, but that's when she started to get worried. She had a small panic attack and pushed herself as far away from me as she could." It hurt to recall what happened a few kliks ago. I saw him taking mental notes as I spoke, cross-referencing his knowledge with these symptoms.

"Is that it?"

"Her ring broke. It turned to dust on her finger." This particular piece of news caught Ratchet's attention.

"It just broke? With no signs of force?" he asked disbelievingly. I simply nodded, unaware of the actual dangers that have caused that. "You know what that means, right?"

"Not exactly, why?"

"Prime, her spark denied you. It tried to get rid of any trace of you from her systems." He stood up and worry filled the room with every step towards me he took. I felt the heat from my body flush out at his words. "What did you do?"

* * *

><p><strong>(Ratchet's POV: Next Morning)<strong>

After hearing what Optimus had told me, I was on the verge of my last hope, praying to Primus that Nova's processors weren't glitched up anymore than they should be. To have your entire system shun something that's been so near and dear to you isn't normal and rarely happens. So much so that this doesn't even feel like trauma anymore, it feels like a virus.

"Nova?" I say as I knock on her door. "It's Ratchet, may I enter?"

::S-sure. It's o-open,:: she com-linked with hesitation. I sighed quietly with pity. _Poor thing._ I walk in to see a complete mess. Her chest is bleeding slightly and her optics are puffed red with tears.

"Are you feeling okay?" I ask, a certain paternal instinct waving over me. She simply nods her head and buries herself deeper into the sheets. "I need to check up on you, though. And it looks like you need some patching up done," I try to say as cautiously as I can, not wanting to upset the stressed femme any more. She whimpers a little at the sound of a check up, but allows me to sit on the bed with her, regardless.

I try talking to her, playing therapist, although, to be honest, that was usually, if not Optimus, Jazz's job.

"I heard you had a nightmare, and by the looks of these scratches, it wasn't a good one. Care to share?"

::Gee, Ratch, I-I experience a horrific terror a few joors ago and al-already you want to poke around. How thoughtful,:: she says weakly, attempting a false positivity.

"Good to see you still have your sarcasm," I return softly, knowing that she's still scarred inside and that her façade is wavering thin. She takes a deep breath before trying to explain.

::Well, I w-was in this cave thing, surrounded by lava. I guess it was melted Autobot scraps or something, but anyway, then this thing that sounded like St-Starscream shows up a-and stabs me with some sort of super adrenaline type chemical.:: She pauses for a moment, gathering herself once more, ::I guess it's kind of like insulin, but for us. He said that it was so when he… bonded our sparks, I would be able to birth at least a part of an entire army that would be able to withstand high levels of force.:: She looked at me with misty optics. ::He-he hurt me, so much. And he w-was laughing... at _my_ pain. Oh, Ratch, it was horrible.::

I feel her cold, bony body fold into my warmth. _I need to get her to take in some more energon._

"Hey, don't think about it. It was a dream, nothing more," I say, consoling her to some extent. Her head nods "Yes" but her whimpers and fresh tears tell me "No." "Don't cry, don't cry. I'm right here. You're safe." I debate myself on whether I should pull her up in a hug, but she decides that fate herself by shooting up and curling into my mold.

::I kn-know, but Ratch… i-it felt s-so real,:: she bawled. My hand stroked her back while my spark tried to restrain the waves of pain I had from seeing someone who used to be so positive and bubbly, turn into a decrepit shell of her former self.

"I know it hurts, but we'll help you get through this. Just think of all the people who want to support you. Bumblebee, Ironhide, Jazz…" She hiccups a smile as I drone on with my list, "Optimus, obviously—"

::Who?::

"I said Optimus."

::And I heard you. Who is that?:: she asked innocently, sniffling as she turned to me with confusion on her face.

"Y-you don't know?" I asked, processor running miles a minute. She shook her head, trying to recall the mech she had once loved.

::I remember the name, it sounds familiar. Is he a new recruit?::

"Um, not-not really. Uh, hold on," I say with an experiment in mind. I slowly stand up from my seat on the bed and walk over to her shelf, looking for something.

::W-what are you doing?:: She moved around in the bed, positioning herself so she could see my actions clearer. I find what I was searching for and walk back to her.

"Do you know who this is?" I show her a picture of Optimus' holoform hugging her on the hood of his alt. mode, their family motto printed on the bottom. At first glance of the picture, her optics widen and she kicks my hand, scooting backwards.

::Get that thing away from me!:: she screams into the com-link, effectively passing the appropriate decibel level.

::Ratchet, is everything okay?:: Optimus asks in a private connection with me.

::Um, for now, I guess? I'll update later, but I think it's for the best if you don't interfere with this conversation. It's for uh… medical purposes,:: I lie quickly. Hopefully that was enough for him to believe me.

"Nova, it's gone. It's gone. See, it's not here, there's nothing in my hands," I reassure, gesturing her to come back on the bed. How she ended up under the desk against the far wall was beyond me.

::Are-are you sure?:: she asked, reminding me of the days when I had looked after her once in her youngling stage of life.

"Yes, I'm sure," I breath out with a soft laugh. Her small figure crawls out of her hiding spot and curls back into her previous position amongst her multiple pillows. "You want to tell me what happened back there?" She whimpered a little before pushing herself to answer my question.

::I-it was him, that thing from my dream,:: her voice cracked, even through the com-link.

"The 'thing?'"

::Mm-hmm. That thing was the one torturing me. It's voice sounded like St-stars… Um, anyway, bottom line is that thing is evil. How'd you get a picture of it?:: I felt her muscles tense a little in a short realization. ::Is that thing here? Is he around somewhere? Does it know where I am?::

"No, no, no, no, no. It doesn't kno—" What was I going to say? Tell her that our leader, the adoptive father of her child, wasn't here with us? I decided to remain vague on that topic. "Shh, shh. No one here can hurt you, and no one will. You're among friends and that's it."

::R-right. It was just a stupid dream… But—Never mind.::

"What? You can tell me." She took her time before speaking up again.

::Where did you get that picture?:: My throat closed up and my breathing had paused. I was stuck. Lying really isn't my forte, but changing the topic was. I "accidentally" brushed up against the bruise on her chest. ::Ow, watch it Ratch!::

_Crisis averted._

"Sorry, I guess I need to patch that up. Why don't you wash up first? If memory serves correctly, I haven't had the chance of fixing your other bruises yet?" I ask, helping her up. She nods her head and walks over to the bathroom. After I hear the shower running, I contact Optimus through a private line.

::Prime, we have a problem. It's a big one,:: I state firmly.

::What happened? Is Nova all right?:: he asked with worry all over his tone.

::Physically, she's fine. Emotionally as well, but, her mental status… it's, for better words, a little screwy.::

::What's wrong with it?::

::Apparently, that dream she had last night left her mind defenseless, and when you came in and reminded her of her fears, her raw processor put the image of fear and switched it with you because of the lack of time you gave for her mind to gather itself.::

::So…::

::Prime, listen to me,:: I enunciated, sighing from exasperation, ::When you were with her that night, that image of all her fears replaced itself with you. You are the representation of everything evil to her. She doesn't know who Optimus Prime is anymore.:: I let the silence pass, hoping that he will take the news gently.

::I guess I shouldn't be anywhere near her for the remainder of her rehabilitation,:: he broke the silence with.

::It's for the best, Prime. I'll do the best I can to speed the pace of her healing process,:: I offer in condolence.

::No, don't. Let her heal at whatever pace ensures the best for her. I can cope.:: I could _feel_ the depression engulfing him.

::As you wish. Don't lose hope, I'm pretty sure she can remember some things good about you. Ratchet out,:: I reply, trying to be void of any current emotions. After she came out of the bathroom and applying bandages over her wounds, I offered to take her to the mess hall. She needed sustenance whether she liked it or not.

* * *

><p><strong>(Third Person POV)<strong>

"Hey guys," a voice spoke up casually as the medic and his patient roamed down the halls. Ratchet's careful attention for Nova's health immediately switched into a scowl as Sideswipe caught up with them. "Whoa, Hatchet, I haven't done anything yet, lighten up." And with that, the old 'Bot offered a scoff. "Whatever, I came here to talk to Nova anyway."

A rare moment occurred at the point of time. Nova was actually happy to talk to him. She turned to the mech beside her and began a short, silent conversation.

::Does he have a com-link, too?::

::Sadly, I was forced to place one in him, so, yes,:: Ratchet replied sarcastically.

::Haha, you are _so_ funny,:: she countered in a similar tone.

::Just be careful around him. You know how he tends to get, especially without his brother to balance him out,:: he said with concern, laying a reassuring hand on her upper arm.

::I'll be fine. I think I can trust this guy.:: She jerks a thumb over towards a confused Sideswipe.

"What's going on? Is this some weird medical issue?" His optics widen with an odd conclusion, "Did you get some awesome techno-organic super powers? Lemme guess, you're telepathic!"

"And you're tele_pathetic_…"

::Real, cheesy Ratch…::

"… but no, it's com-links, half-processed glitch," he finished with rolled optics.

::Just because I'm a techno-organic doesn't mean I'm magical,:: Nova opened a line with Sideswipe and offered a breathy laugh.

"Says the femme who's done the impossible more than twice," he says charismatically.

::Aw, don't make me blush,:: she answers with a scoff.

"Well, I guess I can take off, so long as this one doesn't do anything he'll regret," Ratchet threatens, optics locked onto Sideswipe's.

::What makes you think _he'll_ do something regrettable?::

"Really, Nova?"

::Geez, I get it, no pushing your buttons, fine. Just go and play amongst your medical doodads,:: she mocked, shooing him off.

"I'm serious Sideswipe, I've got a whole new case of wrenches with your name on them," he drifted off as his holoform phased out.

"Who's the idiot who gave him _more_ wrenches?" Sideswipe grumbled.

::It was a quid pro quo,:: she shrugged.

"Mudflap was right. Youse_ is_ a devil, woman," he joked.

::Hey, Ratchet's buttons aren't the only ones that aren't to be pushed,:: she warned, poking his abdomen. ::So, what did you want to talk to me about?::

"Well, I just wanted to thank you… you know, for saving Sunny and all," he admits bashfully.

::Hold up,:: she stops their walking momentarily, preparing to revel in this glorious moment, ::... did, you, Sideswipe—front-liner for the Autobots for as long as I've known you, the mech said to be made of stuff stronger than steel—actually thank me? With no sarcasm whatsoever?::

He sighed as he expected this to be inevitable. Of all the things he had rushed into headfirst, this was one of the trickiest spots he's gotten into. _What have I done?_

"Yes, the Great and Wondrous Sideswipe, has thanked a simple scientist…"

::Simple?::

"… it's just that, you really saved his aft out there, and to be honest, Sunny wouldn't have made it."

::Wow, it just got really sentimental right now.::

"Well, you know, I've always thought of you as a sister. Maybe not the kind of sister you were to Baby 'Bot, but a sister nonetheless," he smirked.

Nova thought about his statement for a while. True, she never really gave the overprotective love to him as she had to Bumblebee, but she did protect them, at any cost. She also treated the twins like family… the annoying second cousin type family.

::So, how is Sunny?:: she changed the subject with.

"He's recovering, but he's got orders from ol' Hatchet to stay in the recovery bay for a while," he sighs as he lays down the half-truth. Sunstreaker _was_ asked to be confined to the recovery bay, but because his systems kept forcing him into emergency stasis randomly. The twin made his brother promise not to tell anyone. Although Sideswipe tried talking his brother out of the slight paranoia, he felt like there was something his twin was hiding from him. Something that felt important.

::Poor him. Maybe we should drop by an—::

"No!" he quickly interrupted. His twin said something about not letting anyone visit, "I mean—we shouldn't. He's really tired—and, um… I think it's best to leave him alone," he tried recovering from his blunder, to some avail.

::Um, all right? Are you sure? I mean, maybe I could help chipper his mood or—:: she gets cut off and stopped in her trail to the recovery bay.

"No!" he yells again, quickly trying to calm his tone, "I-I really think he wants to be left alone right now."

::Okay, as you wish… I guess?:: she says, a little thrown off by his peculiar actions. What was he hiding?

"Come on, let's forget about him right now," he changes the subject quickly. "You must be starving."

::Well, actually, not rea—:: she gets pulled away, with no choice. As they reach the mess hall, Sideswipe releases a puff of air when he spots someone else to keep her busy. He's learned his lesson and would rather not fumble his words around sensitive, and secretive, subjects.

"Jetfire!" he hollers from across the room.

"What do you want, boy?" he spat, immediately changing his mood at the sight of his daughter who had been hidden away from him for much too long. "Nova, you're up. How pleasant, my dear."

::Does he have a com-link?:: she asks her semi-guardian.

"No, we had a unanimous vote to not give him one," he whispers to her as they near the ancient mech's holoform.

::By unanimous, you mean…::

"Me and Bee begged Hatchet to skip out on him. After he said no, I asked Jolt to mysteriously 'lose' the fragging thing," he snickers.

::Ah, so it was an inside job. Figures. But you know this means you're going to have to talk to him for me,:: she taunts him with a fold of her arms.

"What? No way, there's not one thing you could do to make me sit throughout your entire lunch with that old coot," he utters stubbornly.

::Oh, can't I?::

"Yup." At that moment she wraps her arms around her abdomen and starts hunching over slightly, faking a few sniffles and managing some tears.

"Idiot boy! What have you done to my daughter!" Jetfire growled from behind an unsuspecting Sideswipe. The younger mech jumped at the sound of his voice and terror shot across his face. "She's crying you twit. What did you do?"

"N-nothing, I swear! She just started crying for no reason! You have to believe me, you're daughter isn't some poor angel, there's a devil stuck in there!" he panics out, trying so hard to convince a grouchy man that _he_ was the victim.

"Are you calling my daughter a devil?" he growled. Nova slipped out a few loud hiccups and reached for a hug to her father, all the while giving Sideswipe a mischievous glance.

"There! Did you see it! She's playing you, old man!" At his words, she bawled harder, muffling her tears into Jetfire's shirt. The overprotective father began snarling at Sideswipe, getting ready to bring the pain.

::Heheh, you done it now, Sidesy. Get ready to run,:: she snickered in her mind.

"You're going to pay, femme," he snapped, forgetting that she was talking through her com-link. "Oh, frag." And that's when the chase started. She let go of the old mech, allowing him the freedom of beating up a very conflicted Sideswipe. She giggled as she watched the two run out of the mess hall.

After sitting down with a tray of surprisingly good mush, she felt something tap her thigh. With a plastic spork hanging from her mouth, she turned to assess the contact. To her surprise, a modified, and now purple, Jeffy approached her. Her optics widened in joy as she pulled the spork out of her mouth and scooped up the tiny insection. How she wished the two could have some form of communication.

The little Jeffy read her facial distresses and climbed to the top of her head, shifting into a pair of head phones. They were a metallic purple that hooked around the bottom of her ear, instead of covering it entirely. He ignored the furthered confusion of his friend as he attached something behind both of her ears.

She felt a small shock at the connection then saw something scroll across her optics.

[Contact established. Pending further instructions…]

_Whoa, Jeffy, is that you?_

[Affirmative.]

_Cool. So—um, where ya been?_

[Previous Location: Medical bay and recovery bay.]

_Like, with Sunstreaker?_

[Affirmative.]

_Is that why you're purple? And… different?_

[Affirmative. Sunstreaker offered to give me a new coat while we were there. And I scanned Samuel Witwicky's headphones a few minutes ago.]

_Sunstreaker gave you a paintjob? With, like, his _own_ paint? How'd you manage that?_

[Explanation: I've established a friendship.] Nova almost passed out from shock at the words that she just read. It's not every day that the sociopath of the vorn makes friends with a simple insection. She blindly stuffed more food in her mouth as Jeffy went on.

[He often thinks I am 'The definition of cute.'] Jeffy played back the last part with a sound byte of Sunstreaker saying that. Nova almost burst out laughing but ended up choking on a particularly green pile of mush.

He _said that? The massive, immovable, emotionless wall that is Sunstreaker said _that?

[Affirmative.]

_You are way better at cracking his shell than I am. _She thought with a sigh, shaking her head in disappointment of herself. _Wait, _she snapped her head up with a small realization, _you've been hanging out with Sunny for a while, right?_

[Affirmative. I have been there ever since he was brought in.]

_So, you know if he's doing okay?_

[Sunstreaker's medical status… positive. Every other 10.5 kliks, his processor shuts him down. Although, this minor setback will be emended within the next orn.] Jeffy felt relieved when he heard the air release from Nova's lungs. He was glad that she felt better with his information.

_Thank Primus he's getting better. Is that why he doesn't want people to see him?_

[Topic unfound.]

_What?_

[This topic is not found in my memory banks.]

_Oh. Well, I guess there's only one way to find out._ She shoved the last piece of what might be jello in her mouth and started a beeline towards the recovery bay.

[It is illogical to disturb him now.]

_You sound like Prowl. Don't do that. I love you guys both but there's room for only one Prowl, thank you._

[Solution: I'll give you occasional warnings.]

_Of course, as long as you won't pester me with it like Prowl does._

[Affir… Sure.]

Nova gave a breathy laugh as her little friend tried to fixate himself for her needs. He was so sweet. He even had the decency to play a few songs at a low volume as she made her way to their destination. How he knew her favorite songs was beyond whatever she could think of.

_Jeffy? _She asked him, pausing at the massive door, _Do you know if Ratchet's in there?_

[Scanning… Nope. Just Jolt, but he's distracted. You can pass by him and towards the quarters Sunstreaker is residing in if you are careful.]

Nova nodded her head and quietly pushed the door open. As Jeffy relayed, Jolt was there, engulfed with something on his data pad. Ratchet must've been working him to the core because Nova thought he was going to pass out from low energy any second now.

The blue mech didn't even detect anyone in the room. He had too much work to be done. Something was glitching the systems and he hadn't had a chance of even a joor of sleep. His superiors assigned him with the grueling responsibility of redoing the schedules and tasks of both Autobots and related humans for the first few months.

Nova had tiptoed her way to the door that held the recovery bay behind it. She looked for the correct room before knocking, as if that signified anything important.

"Whataya want, Ratch?" the voice of her almost-friend spoke up groggily. She crept in to see him sprawled on his berth with an arm covering his optics. "I said, 'What do you want, Rat—?" He stopped when he laid his vision onto the small techno-organic. "Oh, it's you," he said, somewhat bitterly.

_What's his deal?_ She asked her little symbiote.

[You mentioned he had a shell you needed to crack.]

_Right._

"I suppose you want a 'thank you' or whatever so, thank you. Can you leave now?" he said as he turned his head back and covered his optics again.

Nova searched for a com line, checking if he had one. And he did.

::Sunstreaker? I came here to see if you were okay. You kind of left me in a bad state a few days ago,:: she eased in, not knowing how to handle the potentially volatile mech.

"You saw me, leave," he stated monotonously. A small peek of the room showed him that she wasn't going away. In fact, she managed to heave herself onto the edge of his berth. He jumped a little at the sight of her sudden appearance. How'd she get there so fast?

::Sunny, there's something you're not telling me. You may not like talking to people so much, but I know for a fact that you have way more tolerance of me than that,:: she huffed as her arms crossed over her chest.

"Don't call me that," was all he would say. He felt like talking, but to anyone but her. He was one of the few 'Bots who knew about her real past. The past that even _she_ didn't know about. And he didn't like it one bit. Ever since that information had attacked his processor, he always felt wary around her. Now that he heard about what happened to her prior to his arrival, he began to distrust her a little more.

::I'll stop calling you that if you tell me what's wrong,:: she tried hopelessly.

"Oh good, you're up, and you're here," Ratchet's voice interrupted.

"Oh thank Primus," Sunstreaker muttered to himself as he sat up to glare at the medic.

"Nova, I have some things to discuss with you, and—What's on your head?" he stopped himself as he scanned the small headpiece. It wriggled from the abruptness of his scan and popped into his bipedal mode, roughly detaching himself.

"Jeffy!"

::Jeffy!:: The two 'Bots on the berth exclaimed as he fell into Nova's palm.

"You know who he is?" Sunstreaker asked, a little shocked.

"You _both _know what that is?" Ratchet interjected, slowly making a grab for the disoriented insection.

::Don't touch him!:: she grunted as her arms pulled away from the medic.

"He's my insection!" Nova gave Sunstreaker a quick glance and he rolled his optics, repeating his words, "He's _our_ insection." And with that, he put a protective hand between Ratchet and Nova.

"Well, _that_ is the source of all the fragging glitches that are happening around here," he snarled at the little mech.

::Ra-_tchet_!:: Nova scolded, ::Do _not _hurt Jeffy's feelings, he didn't mean to do all that.:: She started rubbing his small back with a finger.

"Yeah, what she said," Sunstreaker offered lamely.

::Wow, that was creative,:: she said sarcastically with a half smile.

"Don't test me, the only reason I'm protecting you right now is because of him," he snarled. This didn't stop her from smiling at his apparent misfortune.

"I don't care who it belongs to, that thing is coming with me. It has caused way too much—" he was cut off by their simultaneous disagreement.

::Ratch, ya can't!::

"He's important to me—us," Sunstreaker corrected as he finished off her sentence. The tired medic sighed as he eyed the two of them.

"Really? You're doing all that… for an insection?" he asked slowly, disbelieving the strange act of protectiveness. The two nodded their heads vigorously, causing him to sigh again and lay a hand over his optics. "Fine, keep the fragging thing, just make sure he stays _out_ of my equipment."

::Thanks Ratchy::

"Mute it," he snapped, not wanting to hear her sing songy half-mock. He just spent almost half an orn trying to figure out how and why his equipment was glitching. His stress levels weren't getting any better when he saw Nova try to stifle a giggle from her short lived victory.

"He needs a girlfriend," Sunstreaker mumbled, obviously only wanting Nova to hear.

"Watch it you two. One day, you might both mysteriously wake up in each other's protoform," he threatened darkly, making both 'Bots shiver in their places. At least this was the highlight of his day. "Nova, I need a word with you," he said, trying to get back to the reason he came there.

::It was just a joke Ratch, we didn't mean anything by it,:: she countered, a little too defensively.

"Well, maybe _you _didn't…"

::Can it, Sunny.::

"Don't call me that."

::Not now.::

"You two sound like sparklings," Ratchet broke the argument, now closer to them than they had remembered. "Anyway, I had something for you, Nova, so if you could detach yourself from this bickering…" he trailed off and held a servo out to her.

::Yeah, yeah, yeah. We're not younglings anymore, Hatchet,:: she let out a puff of air and slouched down as she reached his thumb.

"You were a few vorns ago, that doesn't excuse you from your actions." He started pulling away from the berth but not before she let the little Jeffy jump into Sunstreaker's palm. She gave her little insection a look that said "Behave."

::What's up, Doc?:: she asked when they left the small room.

"First of all, say anything related to bunnies or carrots and you'll regret it," he starts off lightly. "Second, since I can't monitor you most of the time, and Primus knows that you won't let me, I've decided to take on a small, human apprentice. Don't worry about anything, he'll just help you… adjust, so to speak."

::Or, in other words, you think I'm crazy and need someone to babysit me while you do your CMO stuff.::

"If that's how you want to see it. Either way, he's watching over you," he said in his parental way.

::But, Ratchet,:: she countered in a whiny voice. ::I don't want someone to hover over me 24/7. And—what did you say? He's a guy? That's so awkward.::

"What happened to your 'not being a youngling anymore' thing?" he chuckled.

::Shove it,:: she grumbled.

Although this put them in a grumpy mood, they couldn't help but smile a little as they slipped back into their regular routine of arguments that happened long ago on Cybertron. Some things never change.

"Well, if it helps any, he's new, so have fun showing him around. He was fully debriefed yesterday," he tried consoling. As a medic, he was taught to believe in "Whatever _could _help, _will._" He should stop listening to that.

::Great, so I'm going to be stuck with a newbie who's going to freak out at everything that happens to me. Perfect,:: she grumbles as he lets her slip down from his servo and onto the floor.

"Now, now, you haven't even met him yet. He took all the 'vastness' in exceptionally well. You never know," he says, holding back a knowing smile.

::Yes, mother,:: she says in her best good girl voice. The man who was supposed to be watching her was already there, looking up at the huge screen that the medic-bots used as their primitive-but-good-enough-for-the-time-being computer.

_Great, he gets distracted easily. _I'm _going to have to watch _him. The worst case scenarios started popping up in her mind. One of which was her trying to stop him from screwing around with Sunny's paints while Ratchet aims a wrench at him.

"Mark, this is Nova, your new charge," Ratchet says relatively warmly. The sound of his voice causes the man to turn around. He had a heartfelt smile spread across his face and tried approaching the stubborn femme.

Nova really didn't want to deal with this right now, she had too much turmoil in her processor to add another variable. She didn't even bother to look at the new glorified warden. Her arms were folded tight across her body and her head was tilted down to the side, snarling at Ratchet's foot for bringing her there.

Mark saw how bull-headed she wanted to be right now, but he knew the only way to snap her out of it. "Hi, it's nice to meet you," he uttered in a way that makes it sound like Nova and he had an inside joke. Much to his pleasure, there was a wave of disorientation that invaded her face. Her head quickly snapped up to meet his eyes.

All Nova could think was how familiar that voice had sounded. Her beat picked up its pace and dared to think the thought it had. Her observations of him only served to prove her thoughts true. The one name that came to mind when she gazed upon him wasn't Mark. Not at the least bit.

_Megatron._

* * *

><p><em> So yes, if you haven't figured it out, Mark is ol' Megsy. I know, I know another cliffhanger that leaves you more confused than last time. Curse my inability to complete things! <em>_**4 reviews or 4 favorites/alerts. **__You guys were very generous in your goal achieviness and that is something I am very proud of. I love you all!_

_**~Replies~**_

_**bee-roxs98: **__If you're happy Sunny was saved now, wait 'til you see what I have planned for him later (but you didn't hear that from me *wink-wink*). Poor OP, his justice will come when the time is right._

_**Sayomi178: **__Thank you for your evaluations! It's so nice to hear that you like it. And we are all hoping that someone rips out Starscream's gut. For now, all we can do is crush every triangle that reminds us of him. ;)_

_**Dreaming Out Loud since '98: **__I hope you get to finish the two movies! My stories don't exactly cover the movie word for word, especially in the beginning, but it's still fun to see how they link up._

_**DarkAngelMel2: **__Well, Sunny's a bit better... kinda. Sometimes I think that it's because of Nova that there is havoc to be tamed heheh. OP is a very confusing mech, so nervousness at random times can be somewhat predicted. And by all means, scream your hatred for that demon corn-chip as much as you need to (although, you may have to wait until he goes away :( ). Lol, you and Bee keep singing until the sparklings get here. I hope this chapter kinda clears things up. And, as I have promised... Megatron is here!_

**_~Don't be a stranger ;D_**


	8. New Arrivals

_Hey guys! I _was_ supposed to post this yesterday (you guys accomplished those goals fast) but I was a bit preoccupied and if I wanted to post it, then I'd probably be up until 3 in the morning. To be honest, I don't know too much about the other Autobots from the 80's cartoon (but I'm "studying" said cartoons for that information) but__** if you guys have any favorites or you want to see a specific character, don't hesitate to shout it out**__ (please include a brief summary on their personality for my sake. I want to make sure I got these 'Bots down to smallest detail.) __**Also, if I portray any of these characters incorrectly, please tell me so I know.**__ To list a few Mirage, Leadfoot, Topspin, Roadbuster, etc. So feedback is very much necessary here. __**Goals down below!**__ Thanks a bunch guys, for your support and loves!_

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><p>To say that Nova took the news well would be saying that Ratchet's leg was going to heal on that same day. Let's just say, when Nova gets mad, all Autobots should be wary of where their feet are placed.<p>

"Ah, Nova, good to see my lil' protégé," Wheeljack announced as he saw her walking into his new laboratory. It used to be an abandoned hangar, but with a few modifications and a couple favors, it was now his own piece of history.

::I'm not your protégé anymore, Jack,:: she reminded him lightheartedly. It was only recently that she was promoted to a level similar to Wheeljack's but the inventor still thought of her as his student.

"Oh, those are just simple labels. Ya still have much to learn from me," he said as he picked her up and placed her on his table.

::Like how to blow things up by incorrectly cross wiring those two cords over there.::

"What?" He saw the small human scurry over to the small section of the new weapons he was working on. She was doing something he couldn't see and was shocked when she was slightly flung back and what appeared to be smoke rising from her hands.

Nova had quickly pulled the two incompatible wires from each other before the smoldering got out of hand. Unfortunately, her actions earned her a few burns. Who knew that when wires look like they're on fire that it meant they were hot?

::I just saved your invention _and _my life,:: she said, almost disbelieving the fact that she could've died. ::Yeah, _I_ have to learn from _you_.::

"Heheh, I guess I may have overlooked that small detail," he mentioned sheepishly. "You need something for that burn?" His head poked in closer towards her to get a good look at her mild injury.

::Nah, I'm good. I just need to let it heal first. Later, I can trans-scan a magazine or something for the scar.:: she affirmed. The burn on her hands started throbbing and turned bright red. ::Actually, if you have some cream or something…::

"No problem, Ratchet gave me some burn ointments for humans. I have no idea why he made me carry these around, but they've proved useful so far," he relayed, completely oblivious to the fact that he had a very explosive past.

::Yup, I have _no clue_, Jack,:: she giggled sarcastically.

"So, what brings ya here, Novs?" he asked, fixing the snafu on his invention.

::I just needed a place to hide whilst the others try to find me. I think ol' Ratchy's mad at me.::

"What makes you say that?"

::Well, um… I kinda had a temper tantrum and lashed out on his foot by accident.::

This made Wheeljack pause in his productions and turn to the embarrassed figure who was kicking a stray bolt around. No one has ever dared to purposefully inflict pain on their trusted medic, not even the front liner twins.

"You… what?" He let a few kliks of astonished silence pass before the unexpected happened. A hearty, bellowing laugh was belted out by the inventor.

::W-what's so funny?:: Nova asked, holding back the smile that was threatening to appear on her face. It was an interesting sight to see, her friend heaving air repeatedly, almost violently.

"It's-it's just—hahah—Ratch-et was attacked… b-by a little… human!" And with that, he let out a new wave of howling guffaws. He was promptly joined with a few chortles from his little student.

::To be honest, this wasn't the first time,:: she admitted with a few hints of hesitation. Nova missed having random spurts of pure happiness like this. The war had dulled so many things down and everyone has taken it upon themselves to completely engulf in the rare moments they have.

The two finally slowed down and caught their breath… well, more like, Wheeljack sobered and Nova settled into silent snorts at the mech's expense.

"You know that Ratchet will find you eventually. No doubt he has a few select words for you," he sighed, going back to tinkering.

::Yeah, I figured. He's probably tapping into our conversation right now, anyway. I'm just enjoying the time I have,:: she stated with some melancholy.

"Well, since you're here, might as well be useful."

::Because I can do _so_ much with two burned hands.::

"Oh yeah. Then you can just… observe."

::Thanks for trying, Jack,:: she hummed. For the next few breems, she watched the inventor work on his little thingamajig, stopping him every now and then to correct a potentially fatal mistake… at least fatal for her. Everything seemed to just revolve around their time for a while, until…

"Boo!"

::Ahh!:: Nova screamed, jumping forward from the sudden noise. She turned around to see a smirking Mirage. ::Where the Pit did you come from?::

"I got my electro-disrupter working again," he said with pride.

::Great, so are you going to be sneaking up on me like that more often?:: she asked, disgusted by the mech's choice of time passers.

"Only when you're not doing anything important," he chuckled quietly.

::So working with Wheeljack on his very explosive inventions isn't important?:: She placed her hands on her hips, regretting the motion because the burn still stung.

"Not really," he said, sparing no feelings.

"Hey," Wheeljack spoke up, obviously hurt. "This invention might be the one that saves your sorry aft!" Mirage waves him off, with the usual amount of ego he had.

Mirage really didn't get why people get so angry at him sometimes, he's just calling it like it is. To be an Autobot meant to be honest, right? He heard the femme start to say something but she stopped when they heard a distinct voice.

"Nova?" Mark called, searching for the slippery femme. There were many places he wasn't allowed to go, so he was forced to just call out for her.

She was glad he was restricted from any information. There was no telling why Megatron was there, but one thing was for sure, she didn't want him to know anything. No matter how noble his intentions were.

"Sounds like someone's looking for you," Wheeljack spoke up, interrupting the few seconds that Nova had so much wanted to remain peaceful.

::I guess it was only a matter of time,:: she let out a puff of air, hunching over a little. ::Probably should go. I gotta face the music some time.::

"Face the music?"

::It's an Earth term. These humans have such an interesting way of communication.::

"Nova?" Mark called out again.

::My warden beckons me. See you later, guys,:: she said as her feet left the frame of the human sized door and went out to find Megatron. Or is it Mark? Should she still address him as Megatron? It might all be a ploy to weasel some information out of them. But if it was an evil scheme, he would've picked a holoform that she wouldn't recognize. Or wouldn't he?

"Oh, there you are," he said, relief in his voice. He jogged up to her and involuntarily wrapped her arms in his. Nova had wormed her way out of his grip and glared at him with crossed arms. "Oops, forgot. Sorry," he tried picking up her mood, but to no avail. Why she was mad at him, he couldn't tell.

If Nova could talk, she would've barraged him with so many angry questions. "What are you doing here? How did you get here? What's wrong with you?" were just a few that came to mind.

"Yes, your medic told me about your speech thing. I would've crushed you-know-who if he hadn't run away like the traitor he is. You know if I could, I would've done anything to stop him from doing that. I mean, I did try freeing you, but I guess I was a little late."

_No kidding. _She felt a little better, knowing that he at least attempted saving her. But her stubborn ways overtook that small feeling. To prove her still seething anger, she turned slightly away from him, her nose stuck in the air.

"Oh, don't do that. I came here for you." He felt that he won some sort of victory when she turned to him for a second, but then obviously turned away once more.

What demon possessed him to think coming here for her was a good idea? She was pissed all right.

"Okay, so I'm guessing you want an explanation…" He took her silence as a yes. "I won't be able to live with myself if I knew that you were hurt in anyway. And by the looks of it…" he gently took her burnt hands, "I came at the right time."

Nova was at crossroads. Was she supposed to just let him stay there for Primus knows how long? No one knows who he is right now, maybe they could make things work again. But, what if someone finds out? It would be impossible to regain her well earned reputation. And was he really there for her? Who knows what that Decepticon's got under his sleeve?

"I get it, you don't trust me. And why should you? You don't remember a thing from your past," he said as he dragged her to a place where he could find some bandages. "But at least let me stay until you get your voice back. My job _is_ to help rehabilitate you."

She hated that word. It made her feel like there was something wrong with her. Granted, there was, but that didn't mean they had to make her _feel_ that way. With that in mind, she stopped walking and sat down. Period.

"Really?"

_If this is the only way I can talk to you and tell you that I'm not going to make this easy for you… then yes, really._ It's just not Nova's day.

"Well, if that's how it's going to be…" Megatron knew her better than that. So what would usually happen in a situation like this is to take _no_ crap from her. "Up you get." He heaves her onto his shoulder as she wriggles for him to put her down.

And so Nova's super fun day continues. She gives up her escape attempt and slumps over in her very uncomfortable position. She then starts to recognize the turns that her warden is taking. This hallway can only lead to…

"Ratchet? Are you here? I have a delivery," Megatron calls, searching for the yellow medic.

_What? You brought me to him? I thought you wanted to _help_ me! Not send me to my doom!_ Nova started her squirming again, but somehow, Megatron keeps his tight grip on her.

"Oh good, you found her," Ratchet muttered, almost evilly. "I hope she hasn't given you too much trouble."

"Nothing I haven't faced before," he chuckled.

She heard the extra work it took for the slightly disabled medic to make his way over to them. She didn't mess up his foot _that_ bad, did she?

"You are a miracle worker," Ratchet said, picking up the squirming Nova.

She was flabbergasted at how easily these two exchanged banter. They sounded like they knew each other for years. Technically, they did, but that's beside the point. The second she met optics with the medic, the heat escaped from her body.

::R-Ratchet, I am so, so, so, so sorry that I messed up your foot! Please don't put me in Sunny's protoform!:: she thought frantically. ::His armor is so uncomfortable! And have you _felt _how impossible it is to carry their swords?::

"Whoa, whoa, calm down, I'm not mad. And I'm not putting you in Sunstreaker's protoform. It's too tiring," he said with some mirth at the way her attitude completely changed to a more relaxed state.

::Oh, good. So… um, why the frag am I here?:: she asks innocently with a hint of bitter.

"Two things: One, put this in your ear. It's no use having someone watch over you without them able to talk to you." He hands her what looks like a blue tooth.

When Ratchet wasn't looking, she just shoves the thing in her pocket, not really caring if she can talk to Megatron or not.

"And two, we've received contact from Prowl. He and three of the Wreckers are landing soon so I need you to send the Earth data package to them."

::Why me? I thought I had a maternity leave or something.::

"You're an Autobot, Nova. You don't need a maternity leave," he reminded her exhaustedly.

::I have a kid, don't I?:: she said defiantly, but was easily ignored.

"Here's the file," Ratchet said, handing her an external USB. "Go on, do your job."

The small femme slid off of his servo and onto his desk. She transformed to her full height, silently thanking Primus that she had not shrunk any further. Another thanks was sent to Primus when she saw that Megatron had left.

::Hey, Jolt,:: she said casually, walking up to the blue mech who looked like he would pass out at any moment. ::Mind if I use the computer for a bit?:: The only acknowledgement she got was a weary grunt. ::Aw, poor you. Go recharge, Jolt. I'll take over for a bit.::

"Thank Primus for femmes," he joked weakly.

::Yes, yes. Just remember this moment the next time I need a favor.::

"I'm too tired to think of the consequences of that," he drifted off as he left the room, leaving Nova to her small fit of giggles.

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><p>During the week, the horrible nightmares had visited her again, ripping ferociously at her mind. But Megatron had always been there at her bedside to comfort her. She didn't want to admit it but she has grown to enjoy his company. During the second week, he somehow had made it routine to sleep with her to expel the nightmares. True, Nova probably had feelings for him, but something didn't feel right to her. His energy felt similar but there was that one little piece missing that she just couldn't put her finger on.<p>

She still kept her distance, mostly with the Autobot information and battle strategies. She never went anywhere near the leaders of the group, at least not for an extended period of time, in fear that Megatron might get some evil ideas. Other than that, she was relatively open to him.

Bonnie, on the other hand, has had a wonderful two weeks. As predicted by Ratchet, she has accelerated in growth faster than the average human. The Autobots who have been assigned to watch over her have noticed the changes as well. She can sit-up on her own and recognizes who the people are around her.

The only thing that confuses her is why the man who gives her warm feelings and has a rumble-y voice goes away when the woman who also gives her warm feelings starts to play with her. She liked those people a lot. And they seem to respond to her when she says 'Mah' or 'Dah', but she could never figure out why.

Even though Nova has progressed somewhat through her "not-rehabilitation" rehabilitation, she still has no recollection of who Optimus was and that small detail was tearing him apart. It hurt him more to think that some human had wormed his way closer to Nova than Optimus thought was acceptable. He needed to get his mind off of it. Which was why he was walking into a little play-pen and gazing at the small creature that was rummaging around her multiple play things.

"Hello, little one," he said as he caught the attention of the small child.

"Dah?" she squeaked, turning her head to the familiar sound.

"Yes, it's your dad." His melancholy chuckle vibrated the little girl who had ended up crawling onto her father's chest. They were in the rec. room, in a small corner that was dubbed as Bonnie's Corner.

Optimus was lying on the floor, letting her play with the shiny symbol on his shirt. In her unoccupied hand was her favorite stuffed toy which happened to be a fluffy red Lamborghini that bore a striking resemblance to a certain front liner.

"Who gave you that?" he asked as he plucked the limp plaything from her, with which she responded with an attempt at grabbing it back. "I knew it was just a matter of time before the twins tried to influence you. Promise me you won't grow up to be as reckless as them?"

The young girl responded with gurgle and a tilted head.

"I'll just ask you again when you're older, okay?"

Again, she tilted her head, letting the sun brighten up her short, silky hair.

Optimus had made a discovery in that moment. His daughter's hair was not black, as previously thought. It was, in fact, a deep, charcoal red. And… was that? It couldn't be. Small strands of golden blonde, looking almost as if it was actual gold itself.

"Oh Primus, already you've rebelled," he joked. There were a few footsteps that echoed into the sunlit room, capturing the attention of the two.

"Optimus Prime, sir, there are five projectiles heading towards the western fields. All Autobot energy readings," a soldier informed.

"Yes, I will attend to that. Contact someone to watch Bonnie in my absence," the leader said, sliding the bubbly child into her crib which had other stuffed cars that looked a_ lot_ like a few Autobots she knew. The only thing that surprised him was that he had no clue who exactly has given her those toys. "I will be back soon, my dear," he rumbled with a kiss to her forehead.

She giggled at the tickly feeling of her daddy's lips. It felt funny. She rubbed the spot where he kissed her with the toy the man with red hair gave her. She liked him, he runs funny when the man with the wrench finds him.

All the Autobots where outside, waiting for Prowl and the others to land. The only one not present was Nova. They had miraculously convinced her to stay inside. It was routine for everyone to wait outside for their friends to come, but every single time was filled with hope. Half the team was tense while the other half was giddy. A breem of silence passed before someone spoke up.

"I see them!" Sideswipe exclaimed, pointing to the five dots in the sky. "Ha! Sunny, you owe me five bucks." He gave his brooding brother a playful punch on the arm.

"Where do you think I'm going to get money? And where are you going to spend it?" he grumbled, not even wanting to be there at the moment. There was a paint bottle inside waiting for him to use it.

"Does it matter? I found them first and you owe me five bucks," he snapped at his brother.

"Will you two shut up! They just landed, we need to get there, now!" Ratchet yelled, shifting into his alt-mode and wasting no time getting on the road.

"Ten bucks says I'll get there first," Sunny contested, trying to earn back his illusory money. With a push to his brother, he sped away, leaving the red twin slightly baffled.

Optimus arrived at the scene, seeing that the five have already taken to looking around a little.

"Optimus, it's good to see you once more, sir," Prowl said, stepping closer towards the leader.

"It's good to see you, too, old friend. I trust you've received the data packages that were sent."

"Of course. Nova made sure we all obtained them. Speaking of which, where is she?" he asked, taking a peek at those behind him.

"She's in the base, waiting for your arrival as well. You needn't worry, she's missed you, too," he chuckled, knowing that those two had a lot of good memories together.

"It's that obvious?" he asked, slightly embarrassed about how easily he let his otherwise nonexistent emotions show. It didn't matter, he was back in his place, advising a strong leader and supervising the careless Autobots.

Optimus just let out a good-natured chuckle, clapping a servo onto his advisor's shoulder. A familiar figure started bounding towards them, leaning on his chassis before turning his attention to Prowl and successfully tackling him to the ground.

"Steeljaw!" Leadfoot called out, "Get off of Prowl!" He gestured his "vicious" pet towards him. "Aw, ya great big lug. Calm down before ya step on someone."

Steeljaw just let out a serious of licks and barks as he started his discovery of the new planet. It was so green and it smelled nice. Really nice. His owners didn't look mad so he went around sniffing everything. He couldn't figure out why the one he knew as Prowl looked so distressed.

"Oh, let him run off. This planet looks like a good challenge," Topspin grunted with a proud sense of sportsmanship.

"Yeah, I feel like looking for some Decepti-creeps to push around. You won't believe how little action there is when you're traveling through space," Roadbuster chimes in.

"Whoa, I'm all for kicking some aft, but we got some business to take care of boys," Leadfoot tries to tame his fellow Wreckers. He easily earns a few groans but gets them to comply nonetheless.

The next couple joors were filled with a whole lot of paperwork, something Prowl was used to. Unfortunately for everyone else, he couldn't assist them yet. All the five could do was wait around until someone told them otherwise. And it was near impossible for the three Wreckers and one Steeljaw to contain their energy for much longer. This made Prowl think as to how exactly he managed to travel through the realms of space without shutting down every other second with these 'Bots.

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><p>::They're what?:: Nova exclaimed, hearing news that she should've heard a while ago.<p>

"I said they've been here for a long time," Sideswipe told her as she was softly bouncing Bonnie on her leg.

::Why didn't anyone tell me?:: she stood up quickly, making Bonnie drop her beloved toy.

She started tapping her mommy's chest to get it for her but she wasn't listening. Bonnie bent backwards to see if the red haired man would get it for her.

"Gah," she squealed, making grabby fists at him.

"I thought you knew. They're just waiting in the med bay, why don't you go visit them. I'll watch Bon-Bon," he smirked, picking up the toy she dropped and wiggling it in front of her face. The child easily slipped into his arms. "Go ahead, we'll catch up."

::Thanks Sides,:: she gave him a quick hug and ran a good enough distance before shifting into her full height and making a mad dash for her friends. She turned the corner and almost slipped at the abruptness of her brakes. ::Prowl!:: she yelped through the com system, taking a wild guess if he had one. To her surprise, he did.

"Nova, it's good to—Oof!" He was interrupted by the almost violent hug she gave him.

::Leadfoot! Roadbuster! Topspin!:: she called out, finding that they had com-links as well. Each mech received an armor crushing hug. The only thing that would counter the overly excited femme was Steeljaw and his equally energetic tackle. ::Steeljaw, get off, boy,:: she giggled, even though she knew for sure he didn't have a com-link. Her external actions did nothing to stop the slobbery licks that assaulted her face, but she didn't mind.

"Well, finally, we meet again. Ready for a quick session of hand to hand?" Topspin taunts. "This Earth terrain looks interesting enough to do some damage."

::Spin, I've seen you for an astrosecond and already you want to pick a fight?:: Nova laughed softly at her friend's eagerness.

"We're bored with nothing else to do, of course I'm picking a fight!"

::Nothing has changed,:: Nova sighed disappointedly.

"Why aren't you speaking?" Roadbuster asks with little concern.

::It's a long story. But don't worry about me.:: She waves their worries off with her servo but it doesn't do much to clear up Prowl's thoughts.

"That's illogical. We're your friends and trusted comrades, we should worry for your well-being," he said, scanning her facial expression for any answers.

::That's sweet Prowl, but I'd rather you didn't. It hurts to relive that experience,:: she warbles out.

"Someone hurt you? Show me that Decepti-fragger! I'll rip _his_ vocals out… and then the rest of him," Roadbuster claims, posing in an offensive position, as if the Decepticon was in the room at the moment. Technically, he was, but Nova didn't bother to tell anyone just yet.

::No, no, no, Roads, no one ripped my vocals out! It's okay, really, it is!:: She tried calming him by pushing his weapons down.

"Hey guys! Are the guns out of the way? I'm carrying fragile cargo!" Sideswipe bellows from the door entrance, shivering a little at the thought of walking in the med bay voluntarily. _I'm doing this for Nova,_ he told himself, _and Bonnie. _The little girl gurgled in his arms, swiping at the shiny Autobot insignia on his jacket. _Yep, so worth it._

"Who's that? And why is he carrying a mini-human?" Leadfoot asks, completely intrigued by the miniature squeaking thing.

::That's Sides' holoform and that's my daughter.:: Nova snickered as she saw her adventurous darling tap at Leadfoot's nose plate instead of crying as she thought may have happened.

"Fearless little fleshy in't it?"

"Just like her momma," Sides offered. He, too, was now holding back snickers as she started squealing happily while messing around with Leadfoot's nose.

She looked at the man carrying her with widened optics, showing him her newest discovery. Her ego boost a little when he seemed just as fascinated in her findings as she was. A giggly squeal erupted from her mouth as she tapped furiously at the nose with both hands, determined to see what it tasted like.

"It's tickly. And it seems to adapt to its surroundings," he stated, studying the small femme.

::She. _She's_ tickly and adapts to _her_ surroundings,:: Nova said, defiantly. She was feeling proud of all the attention her angel got from the scientist. Albeit he was a weapons scientist, but still a scientist all the same.

"You said she was your _daughter?_" Prowl asked, processor whirring at record speeds.

::Remember that techno-organic thing I was developing? It worked… tada,:: she said weakly. Much to their displeasure, Prowl shut himself in emergency stasis from the overheating of his processor… yet again. ::If I may be the one to reiterate, _nothing_ has changed.::

"Aw, Prowler, still fainting," Sides said with little remorse.

"So how did you get this little human?" Leadfoot asked, turning the topic back to the gleeful child. He was completely absorbed with this small thing which in turn was completely absorbed with him. The sound of shifting metal told him that Nova was the human that was jogging alongside them, picking up the wiggly human child.

::Again, it's a long story that I'd rather not get into detail with.::

"You know, if you don't give Prowl any detail, he'll shut down for good," he chortled quietly.

::Just don't mention it. I'll figure something out. Isn't that right Bon-Bon? Mommy can handle it,:: she addressed the child.

"She has a com-link?"

::No, but it's become second nature to just babble at her. Besides, she can't comprehend speech yet, so it's okay.::

"Well then, I know who's going to be my little apprentice when she gets old enough."

::Oh my, Primus be with her,:: Nova uttered worriedly.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt this little ball of fun."

::Sure.:: She takes a good look at the mechs around her and notices something. ::You guys need some alt-modes.::

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><p><em>Happy new chapter! I know that the pace of my stories have mellowed a bit, but worry not for I shall kick it up with action... sooner or later. Forgive me if I take too long with my updates, but I decided to become a volleyball player. So with school and work is now sports and achy muscles! Yay? <em>_**4 reviews or 4 favorites/alerts! **__You guys have been very enthusiastic with reaching these goals lately and with that I salute you._

_**~Replies~**_

_**bee-roxs98: **__Ol' Megsy is just all over the place isn't he? Optimus accepts your condolences, every little bit counts *sniffle*. Thanks for liking my previous chapter, it means all that much more to me!_

_**belle and the beast: **__Poor OP, he should really value the phrase 'It's worth the wait,' a lot more. If only the universe (or me) would give those two love birds a break! Jeffy told me to tell you he thinks you're a cute little thing, too. He's a sweet, charismatic lil' insection._

_**Dreaming Out Loud since '98: **__You don't know how lucky you are that I just happen to have written extra Bonnie cuteness in this chapter. When I saw your review, I kept thinking in the back of my head, 'Just wait 'til you read this chapter.' I also was thinking, 'Oops, if you had no clue who the other Autobots were in the last chapter, I'm guessing you'll be more confused with this one.' Heheh, sorry -_-*_

**_DarkAngelMel2: _**_Optimus is a real eager beaver but jumping the gun doesn't usually end up as a good thing. Nova's processor is very screwed up, considering how much abuse (both intentional and unintentional) it has gone through. The twins (especially Sunny) have a special role in my story, but I can't tell you that. Jeffy, as of right now, is acting as the small bridge that closes the emotional gap between them (how fancy!). Megatron+Base+Sunstreaker's Paranoia+Nova=Super Happy Fun Time!_

_**~Don't be a stranger ;D**_


	9. Another Missing Puzzle Piece

_Hey guys, sorry for super long delay! I was going to update this weekend but I needed the okay from my super cool beta Ryle Culler. I have something to admit... I've been stalling the plot. My mind is just so screwy that it's almost impossible for me to continue to the parts I want y'alls to read. Please be patient while I fill in the patchy stuff with fluffines. It's my way of saying sorry ;). _

_**Goals down below! **One more thing, usually, my stories consist of 4000-5000 words per chapter (sometimes more) but in order to get this writer's block away, I'm going to have to reduce it to 3000-4000 words a chapter. I never go below 2000... never! It's my rule that I live by so you needn't fear for short, crappy chapters._

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><p>"Hey, Nova are you okay?" Megatron asked her as she plopped herself onto the bed, sighing unintentionally loud. She had been oddly depressed lately and this worried him.<p>

::Mark, I'm fine,:: she replied through their makeshift com-link. She called him Mark only because she knew that Ratchet could tap into that line whenever he wanted, not that he did that often.

"That's a lie and you know it," he stated forwardly. A thing he knew about her was there was no beating around the bush. If a bush was beaten, Nova would be able to talk her way out of it.

::Well, it's—I don't know…:: she started awkwardly.

"You can tell me. That's why I'm here."

::That's another thing. Aren't the others looking for you?:: She was referring to the Decepticons. For sure they would have noticed their leader's absence.

"It's easy to distract those fools. I only need to bribe Stars—ahem—I just needed to distract _his_ attention, so I offered him an otherwise useless task," he replied, careful not to say any names out loud, in fear that someone might eavesdrop.

::But, it won't last forever,:: she reasoned, trying as hard as she could to get him to leave. The Autobots would figure out who he was sooner or later. In fact, he's been running on lie after convincing lie, barely saving his aft.

"How long do you think it will take to get your voice back?" he asked rhetorically. It was obvious that she was being more than a little paranoid. Then again, that _was_ a characteristic that had always defined her, not to mention the added paranoia from becoming a mother. Femmes are just so complicated.

Nova blushed just the slightest as she was almost caught in her questions.

::It could take a while… maybe,:: she offered bashfully. This light dispute had turned from Megatron to Nova, and she was intent on keeping it that way. Albeit it seemed that he was slowly gaining back control. Curse the lack of memory she had! Nova had made herself a promise right then and there to never mess around with her processor anymore. She might as well just reformat herself, to just start life completely over. _It wouldn't be that hard, right?_

He gave an exasperated sigh, laughing to himself at her unmoving grip on her position of this conversation. With a swift and gentle motion, he scooped her up in a hug from behind.

"No, no, it won't, okay? You're going to get better and you'll be able to talk to your darling youngling again."

Even though she couldn't see him, she could tell he was smirking at her. But that wasn't she was focusing on.

::What about you? What happens to _you _after everything 'gets better?'::

Silence.

He pressed his lips on top of her head, thinking of the correct words to say. Was he supposed to tell her that after all they've been through... he'd just leave?

"We could run away. I know you don't remember much about before, but you should at least recollect our plans to live as neutrals on a distant, far away planet. We could remove anything that could be traced, keep only the things on our backs," he mumbled thoughtfully onto her fruit scented hair.

She turned in his arms, looking at him with as much seriousness as she could muster.

::Mark, I have a family here. There's a reason that it didn't work last time, and why it won't work this time.:: Her deep, soul-staring gaze tried to penetrate the otherwise impermeable Megatron. Why didn't he just get it? She can't abandon everyone she loved and cared for.

They looked at each other for a while, communicating through their expressions. It was Megatron who dared to break the fragile silence.

"Maybe you need some more help remembering. Last time, you at least considered it all before turning it down. There's a solution for this, I know it," he pleaded with his tone. Although, it was a plea wasted because Nova's face turned from understanding to outright offended.

::Last time? _Last_ time?:: she emphasized, clearly shocked at his poor choice of words. ::Last time, the war had just started. Last time, it was just my brother and I. Last time, he was the _only_ one I had to be there for. But now? Now, I need to be there for everyone else. Believe it or not, Mark, but I'm not that timid 'Bot you remem—::

He couldn't stand to see her underestimate what it was exactly they had. She needed to recall those times before the war got heated. Before he was chosen to be the leader of the Decepticons. Before she chose options based on her and her brother's survival.

So he kissed her.

When Megatron brought her up towards him, something flooded back into Nova's systems. She wasn't reviving old memories per se, more like calling back old feelings. And those feelings were strong. It almost overwhelmed her spark on how vivid it all felt. But something was missing. A small piece that she could never figure out what it was.

So it made her want more. Oh Primus, did she want more. Her lips searched greedily for where that elusive piece might reside.

Megatron was more than ecstatic in her response, waiting for the opportune moment to slip his tongue in. To him, it felt so right. Like she belonged there.

But to her, it just turned worse. The harder she beckoned the empty void, the bigger it got. The void swallowed her until she stopped and peeled herself away, resting her forehead onto his. _No, this isn't right. It's just not… not the right piece._

"What's wrong?" he whispered to her, coaxing her back into their previous position.

::I-I can't. It's not—I don't…:: Nova's mind stumbled over itself, determining what exactly it was she felt. What _did _she feel?

"I'm sorry." That was all that was left for him to say.

A pair of undetected optics blinked at the pair in front of him. He quickly skittered away, concern building up for the femme who was obviously not in her right mind.

Night drew in and settled around the two, engulfing them in semi-peaceful slumber. Nova found herself waking slightly, over thinking her scenario. All her life, she gave and gave for those around her, not wanting to disturb their peace. Now, she had to give this unfortunate mech a complete 180. He was taking away too much from her charity.

* * *

><p>The small insection scurried away from the room, shocked at what he had just witnessed. Why was his symbiote-host kissing the leader of the Decepticons? Jeffy knew that she had some processor damage, but it wasn't supposed to be <em>that<em> bad. He was pulled from his train of thought when a sleek black and white mech was meandering through the hall.

"It's interesting how the humans can live in a structure so fragile without fear of endangering themselves," he mused to himself. A small glint of metallic purple caught his eye. "Now what are you doing here?"

Jeffy froze suddenly, not ready to interact with a mech he's never seen before. True, Jeffy saw a few glimpses of him as he "toured" around the myriad of computers the Autobots used, but he's never had a chance to actually confront him.

Prowl saw the thing and picked it up gently, taking note of its rigid state.

"There's no need for fear. I have no reason to harm you," he stated blankly, as if that was all Jeffy needed to calm his spark. "Where did you come from? You have no faction insignia imprinted on you."

Jeffy twittered sporadically, willing the police car colored mech to put him down.

Prowl had chosen a simple Lamborghini Murcielago with the standard police print. It was obvious that to blend in respectively, he had to become the image of authority. Nova had told him that picking a Lamborghini as an alt-mode may cause some unwanted attention, but he dismissed her mislaid thoughts. Still…

"Hey, gimme that," Sunstreaker barked, snatching the insection in a stealthy motion, careful to not inflict any harm.

"You know that Insecticon?" Prowl asked, sounding as if it was the most outrageous explanation in the world.

"He's an _insection, _not an Insecticon. There's a difference. And yes, yes I do know him. He needs a new color and I've been looking everywhere for him," he responded snootily. "You are one slippery bug, you know that?" he addressed the still cowering, purple lump of metal.

"That might have to wait. You are scheduled to watch the human youngling in the next shift. It starts in two—" he was cut off by a wave of the golden mech's hand.

"Yeah, yeah, I was on my way to do that."

"But, you just said—"

"It's called multi-tasking, Prowl," he answered, annoyed by the multiple questions that were directed his way.

"It's harmful to the young one if she inhales the fumes of your paints," he stated with a slight level of concern.

"She's a techno, right? It won't harm her at all," he huffed. Prowl's statement had caught his attention for a bit. Sunny didn't want any harm coming towards little Bonnie's way, even if her mother was a potential double agent. But no one needed to know his concern for that adorable little thing.

He had a reputation to keep.

"Incorrect; she has yet to form the proper organs for her to even begin to transform. Bonnie is still very much human as she is Cybertronian," he disclosed, hoping that the hard-headed mech would finally get the message.

"Fine, I'll paint him later. You happy?" he snapped. Inwardly, he was relieved that Prowl had "stopped" him just in time. He never knew that human younglings were so sensitive.

The tactician, however, was baffled by the abrupt victory. He would've asked Sunstreaker why he had given up so easily, but the golden mech had disappeared already. Prowl would just have to try and distract his mind from this unless he wanted to shut down again.

* * *

><p>As they were strolling down the halls to the rec. room, Jeffy shifted and attached himself to Sunstreaker's wrist, where they shared the symbiotic bond. Sunstreaker transformed into his golden Lamborghini Gallardo alt-mode so he could pop out his holoform. The small insection appeared as a purple bangle on him.<p>

The sudden noise alerted the baby girl who was in the arms of Ironhide. His shift with her had just ended, much to his displeasure. The youngling was one of his prides and joys, mostly because part of his vicious, won't-back-down, persevering "enthusiasm" had rubbed off onto her. A femme after his own spark.

Bonnie's attention was split between her two guardians, choosing which one to play with next. Her confused gaze straightened itself as Sunstreaker stepped closer. She squeaked happily as he wiggled a finger in the crook of her neck, successfully tickling her. Bonnie knows which one to play with now.

"Looks like she wants me, Hide," he said smugly. Sunstreaker triumphantly picked up the little girl and reveled in her infectious giggles.

"Be careful! Don't hold her like that, her brain is still sensitive," he scolded, slapping the other upside his head.

"Ow! Cool your jets, Hide. I know what I'm doing," he grumbled, rubbing his head while the little one cooed at the act of violence.

Bonnie never liked it when people were fighting. So, obviously, she had to set things straight with these two. With that goal in mind, she started lightly smacking Ironhide's solid arm, barely reaching it from where Sunstreaker was holding her. It never once occurred to her that she was being hypocritical to her message, then again, she was only a few months old and wanted to make sure that her friends were okay.

"See, Bonnie agrees with me," he added as if her actions were some sort of tie breaker. Sunny would've let the girl slap away at the grumpy mech to her heart's content, but he knew that his superiors would have blamed him for "influencing" her. His arm reached out to hers, pulling it back towards her body. "No, no, Bon. We only do that when you can run away before he can shoot your little aft," he baby talked her.

"Don't swear in front of her!" Ironhide nagged once more. He earned an optic roll from the rebellious golden twin and sighed sharply in disappointment. Some mechs never grow up.

"Just go and blow up some targets, or Ratchet, or whatever it is you do when you're not berating me with all these rules," he spoke quickly, shooing off the overprotective mech. Sunstreaker let out a deep breath as the older mech finally phased out and left them alone. "Now, it's you and me Bon-Bon."

Bonnie placed a small hand lightly on his throat as he spoke. It lulled her to some extent because of the vibrations it caused. This act of affection usually happened mostly with her father, considering the deep baritone pitch he had. But it was normal for her to do that with the others, especially when she felt sleepy.

Sunstreaker was actually new to this and had wondered why she looked at him expectantly when he stopped talking.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked her. He noticed how she would wrap into a little ball close to his chest as he spoke again, her hand not leaving his throat. When he stopped, she started muttering gibberish and tapped at the warrior's throat, coaxing him to speak once more.

"Keep talking," a voice spoke up softly from a distance. Bumblebee's holoform jogged up towards his friend, along with Mizuki.

"What?" Sunstreaker raised an eyebrow, not understanding the mech's words.

"Keep talking to her. She likes vibrations on your throat." It was Mizuki who uttered theses words, lovingly rubbing her niece's back.

"Um, what am I supposed to say?" The golden warrior was now feeling a small hint of stage fright from being put on the spot by a mini human.

The couple laughed to themselves, thinking how obvious the answer was. It was apparent how new Sunstreaker was to the out-of-world concept of babysitting.

"Here," Bee said, chucking a thick book at him. "It's her favorite book."

"This?" he exclaimed, quickly reading the title. _Tools for Tools: The Car Encyclopedia._"It's a fragging encyclopedia!"

"Don't swear in front of her!" Bumblebee snapped, shooting daggers at the boundary-pushing mech. His glare bore harder as he saw Bonnie stirring a bit restlessly as Sunstreaker shouted.

"How in the 'verse is this her favorite book?" he whispered sharply, taking note of the squirming baby. "She doesn't even understand the difference between your alt-mode and mine let alone a mechanic guide!"

"Okay, let's get this straight. One, the only thing she confuses is what's edible and what's not. Two, she just wants to hear someone talking, it doesn't matter if it's absolute nonsense. Besides, the more you read this book, the more she'll grow up understanding how exactly to operate machinery," Bumblebee stated in a matter-of-fact tone. Regardless his argument was completely hollow and outstretched. Even _he_ knew that Bonnie most probably wouldn't profit any knowledge in this stage of her life.

Sunstreaker was about to erupt with a comeback when Mizuki stepped in, frustrated that he just won't read the freaking book. What else could he do? Everyone knew that a tired baby is a cranky one.

"Just... read… the book," she stated, not wanting to take anymore crap from him. The two squared off, glaring the other down.

Bumblebee learned two things that day. He should never drag Mizuki around at 12 o'clock in the morning even though she begged him to just let her go to sleep. And he should never drag a bitter Mizuki around at 12 o'clock in the morning to an equally bitter Sunstreaker. It was a catfight waiting to happen.

The two _very_ volatile figures just stood there, staring hate into each other, waiting for the opposing side to fold beneath the heavy weight of their fierce eye contact.

The few minutes that passed by seemed to last forever. Bee finally let his mind figure that somehow, those two were communicating in a way only really, really pissed off people can. He saw Bonnie stirring again and decided to end it, since it was easy to see that one species was not as stubborn as the latter.

"M-Miz?" he called out quietly, thinking that for some reason, he might break his beloved if he spoke to loud. "Mizi? I think we should get going," he relayed a bit awkwardly. A few steps towards her earned him a painful grasp on his wrist. She still didn't break her stare at Sunny.

"Not until he reads the book," she grumbled, subconsciously gripping tighter on her poor, bystander boyfriend.

"Miz. Miz, you're-uh, kinda… hurting me," he wheezed the last part as his knees started buckling from the unexpected amount of pressure she was applying.

She couldn't hear outside her little world. Bonnie was going to be read to and damn it, if she had to glare at this stupid mech all night, she would.

Bonnie was starting to feel a bit left out. The people around her look like they were talking without her as sometimes the older robots did. She may have been an infant, but she knew that the others can talk albeit they're not moving their mouths. That had been one of her pet peeves, because if no one was talking, she couldn't feel the tickly rumbles from their throats.

She looked at the man holding her and placed a delicate hand on his jaw line. That little girl wanted attention and she wanted it _now._ Patting him made the man turn his head slightly to her but his optics never left the woman in front of them. _Why did they find her so interesting to look at?_

The child thought deeply about how his concentration could be on her. Sometimes, when she wanted the others to look at her, all she had to do was make a sound. The man with red hair always liked it when she called him Sah. Maybe the man with blindingly yellow hair wasn't so different.

"Sah, Sah, nnn…!" she gurgled out, patting Sunstreaker's jaw a bit harder.

Sunstreaker heard her cries for awareness but had stayed intent on winning this glaring war. Only when he heard her mutter what seemed to be his name did he break his concentration. With wide optics, he stared at his temporary charge with disbelief.

"Ha! I win! Now you _have_ to read the book!" Mizuki exclaimed, oblivious to what had happened to her niece. She gave Bee a quick hug to which he returned a kiss on the cheek and let her jump around in her victory.

"Did… did Bonnie just…?" he stuttered, pleading the small human to repeat her words with his optics. To his amusement, she did. Although, she left out the "Nnn" part. Either way, it was a good start. "She just said my name."

"What?" the couple said, pausing in their somewhat awkward celebration.

"Did you hear her? She said my name! Well, almost, but still!" he said, a smile daring to break onto his usually rough exterior.

"Bon-Bon, honey, can you say his name for me?" Mizuki asked, pointing to Sunny in the progress.

Bonnie looked at her aunt and the digit she was pointing. The little girl traced her finger and eventually landed on Sunny's nose. She giggled at the expression he made.

"Sah-nnn!" she said, waving her miniscule hands in the air as if she's discovered the cure for the common cold.

"Oh, Primus, Nova should really be here right now," Bumblebee uttered with amazement smeared all over his voice. He recorded the moment in his mind, paying careful attention to every little detail. When he replayed this memory, he would want his sister to feel as if she were standing right there at that moment.

Sunstreaker heard Bumblebee's remark, but thought nothing of it. Only because of the epiphany this little human just had. Sides is going to be so jealous.

"If you read her the book, she might learn your entire name faster," Mizuki prodded, hoping that this small attempt at a bribe would work.

"Fine, I'll read the stupid book," he grumbled, closing his fist around the chunky pile of papers angrily. Now was not the time to argue with the female. Soon… very soon, he will get his revenge.

"Thank you," she said curtly. Mizuki gave Bonnie a quick kiss in the forehead while Bumblebee tugged on her little foot gently as the two made their way back to the rooms. "Goodnight Bon-Bon. Goodnight Sunstreaker," she drawled out, mocking him in every way she possibly could.

"Arrogant fleshling," he muttered to himself, not entirely meaning his words. But he was angry, what else was he supposed to do? He felt Bonnie curling back into her previous position, her hand waiting patiently on the base of his throat. Finding a seat for them to settle in comfortably, he opened the reluctantly opened the book and let out a heavy sigh.

"Chapter one…"

* * *

><p><strong><em>No need for goals this week. I just want to see how many of you will actually review by yourselves out of the goodness of your heart instead of me needing to beg. Please don't prove me wrong! <em>**_P.S. I may have to stall a little on this story, I'm going back to my other stories and fine tuning them. I'm in no way stopping this story, just slowing it down. So sorry!_

**_~Replies~_**

**_bee-roxs98: _**_You must be patient for the fate of said Mega-twinkie. Although, if he does get caught, you can bet it won't be good *wink-wink*._

**_DarkAngelMel2: _**_Sadly, Ratchet is old and grumpy, not even a vacation can make this mech happy. Optimus is just not having fun with Nova all glitchy and whatnot. It's a good thing that he basically has almost no clue as to what Megsy is doing with her (that, in no way, was meant to sound dirty). The twins aren't the only ones spoiling that little ball of giggles. She's been given toys from most of the 'Bots, all of them trying to win over her affection. For now, only Sides has a pretty good lead (besides Sunny-Bunny)._

**_Dreaming Out Loud since '98: _**_Let's all spill out our squealiness for Bon-Bon! *screeches madly* Ahem, pardon me. If you ever need any help figuring out who the mechs are, don't hesitate to ask! Wheeljack is a blue and white scientist/inventor who always seems to blow things up (ex. popcorn... Yes, he can blow that up.) Prowl is a black and white military strategist who also does all the yucky paper work that no one wants to bore themselves with. He is Prime's official second in command (Nova and Jazz being Prowl's alternatives.)_

**_~Don't be a stranger ;D_**


	10. Fighting Hurts

_Yay! A new chapter that's actually on time! I won't waste your well deserved reading time on formalities, so on with the chapter! (Forgive me if this story feels kinda skippy, I just really needed the plot to move on)._

* * *

><p>Nova woke up that morning with a strong sense of intent. All of her friends have done all they could to protect her from the horrors of the big scary universe around them. Now was the time she would do that all her own.<p>

She didn't know if anyone had noticed, but in all technicalities, she had never actually fought a battle. Sure, there was that thing back in Mission City, but how much of that did she really fight? The scuffle back at Egypt didn't really count, she was pregnant for Primus' sake! Nova felt horrible for taking the glory that had belonged mostly to everyone else _except_ her.

That's all going to change.

She's going to fight her own battles whether Ratchet, or Ironhide, or Jazz, or whatever stood in her way. People often called her trigger-happy at times, most of them blaming it on Ironhide's presence, but that volitale-ness never really got as far as a few scratches. Pit, if it wasn't for her gun, she would be the weakest 'Bot in the whole universe.

::Sides? You here?:: she called out into a private link with him.

::Depends, where exactly is 'here?':: he retorted in his usual fashion.

::I'm at the hangar Hide usually beats you up in,:: she answered before she could process what she had just said.

::Excuse me, but he does _not_ beat me up there! We simply train there and he sometimes pins me down. Only because I don't want to hurt his pride!:: he replied, obviously trying to avoid the cold, hard truth.

::Of course, Sides. I totally believe you,:: she said sarcastically, stepping into the hangar and seeing that, indeed, Sideswipe was, in fact, there. _What a surprise._

"Hey, Nova. What did you want?" he asks, stopping the harsh blows that he dealt to a few holo-cons.

::Sideswipe, I have a proposition for you,:: she started professionally.

"And that would be…?"

::Teach me to fight? Please?:: Nova folded her servos together and put on the widest set of puppy dog eyes she could find. It wasn't exactly every day that she'd have to ask the 'Bot she often dealt a lot of pain to, to help her deal even _more_ pain.

The second he heard the words escape her mouth, a scoff erupted from his. _She's kidding, right?_

"You're kidding, right?" he asked out loud.

Nova shook her head bashfully, hoping to Primus that he'd see it more of a challenge than a potential threat to his life.

"Like I'd actually teach you how to beat people up, never mind that it would be _properly_ beating them up," he half snorted.

::Please, please, please! Sides, you're the only one I know who'd do this and won't reprimand me for it!:: she begged. Did he not see that she had dropped all her dignity already? He _had_ to say yes.

"I don't know. If Hide or Hatchet figures out what I'm doing, I'm going to get slagged for sure," he uttered almost mischievously.

Nova knew what he was insinuating… and she hated him for that. Her optics bore daggers into his, daring him to think what he was thinking. _He wouldn't dare do that! Would he?_ The moment of silence was her answer.

::I'll make it up to you!:: she blurted out in their com-link. The words rolled painfully out of her processor. If she thought she had lost all her dignity before, then she was dead wrong.

"Anything?" he drawled out, mocking her with every syllable. Sideswipe reveled in her agitated state, knowing that this was one of the most barbaric tortures she'd probably ever been through. "I can't hear you," he added in a sing-songy fashion.

::Fine! Anything… as long as it won't scar anyone for the rest of their lives,:: she affirmed.

"The only one who'll be scarred is you, my dear Novella."

Did he just call her a book? Nova didn't have time to comment on his stupidity when he simply led her to the open space where one would usually spar.

"Okay, young one," he started, obviously joyous with the fact that he was now technically her mentor. Oh, the irony! "Lesson One, Subsection One: This is a fist." He gestured to his balled up digits, earning a backhand slap from his trainee.

::I'm not an idiot, Sides. At least start the lesson at _my_ level,:: she exhaled, rolling her optics and resting servos on her hips.

"Well, someone is eager, isn't she," he snapped, pretending to be bitter. "Okay then, since a certain femme thinks she's all that, let me teach you the advanced basics."

All that was going through Nova's mind was, _Advanced basics? How the Pit did Sides ever become a front-liner?_

* * *

><p>The two had been practicing for Primus knows how long and Nova was barely getting through exactly what he'd been teaching her. A mix of his horrible explanation skills and the part where he'd just trip her up for the heck of it was what plagued her.<p>

::Sides! Stop fragging cheating!:: she grumbled as he used a combo move to trip her to the ground.

"I'm not cheating, you're just slow," he taunted, holding out a hand to help her up. This had been the best day he's ever spent with Nova.

She disregarded the outstretched hand and hopped quickly to her feet into a position she had mastered earlier.

::Fine, you want fast? I'll show you fast,:: she almost whispered.

The tone of her voice through the com-link made Side's shudder. Maybe he should stop teasing her.

"Are you sure? I think that's enough for today," he said skeptically.

::Scared, Sides?:: she chuckled, circling him.

"All right, let's do this then, femme," he replied, circling her as well.

Nova threw the first punch, which was aimed directly for his face, but she faked it, predicting that he would move to block it. She grabbed the arm that served to deflect her first throw and used her elbow to snap the armor near the base of his arm.

It didn't hurt him, but it effectively stalled him. Sideswipe hadn't backed down yet. He took his other hand to trap Nova against him, holding her by the clavicle. With his knee, he kicked her leg and she buckled slightly.

She took her new position and aimed for his hip armor. With her knowledge of Cybertronian anatomy, she skillfully detached the piece of metal and pulled a few wires that disabled most of the basic motor movements in that leg. She used her own foot to push his leg out in front of him.

Sideswipe now officially had no clue what to do without hurting her, albeit she had some vicious blows of her own. His arm regained consciousness and he used both servos to grab the femme behind him. He used her to wheel himself around so he could face her. With that, he started dealing a series of quick punches towards various places.

She deflected most of them with a bit of strained moves. Nova was getting fragging tired. A few blows landed on her shoulder or forearm, weakening her defense. Her processor scrambled for the easiest way to win. If he was going to win by cheating, then Primus, she would, too. Her optics darted down to a clip she knew was on his pelvis. With a split second move, she hit the general area of where the clip would be, hoping that she had dislocated it. Her results were sufficient as she saw his codpiece fall off. A blur that was her leg shot up and kneed him in that sensitive area. With that, she was rewarded by a high-pitched squeal.

A wild sensation of liquid fire shot up from where her knee had impacted him and traveled towards his entire body. He balled up in pain as he felt her deal the last blow, which happened to be a roundhouse kick to the face.

"Okay… th-that's definitely… enough for t-today," he wheezed.

Nova's primal instincts wore off and she gasped at what she had just done to her friend.

::Oh Primus, I'm so sorry Sides!:: she exclaimed, kneeling down to help him into a sitting position.

"It's fine, everything is still here, I hope. You are one dirty fighter, femme," he said, catching his breath. He made sure to review her fighting technique so he could find out her weak points and make her work harder next time.

::So… um, are you still going to be my teacher?:: she asked innocently, pleading with her spark that he'll still take her in.

"Of course, why wouldn't I? The fun is just getting started. Your next training session will be tomorrow."

::What time?::

"When I feel like it," he muttered very evilly. She was going to get her just desserts and she was going to get it good.

Nova didn't like the tone she heard escape him. Something told her that she should reinforce her armor for tomorrow, just in case. They ended their session with Sideswipe telling her where she was a bit sloppy in and after then, they dispersed into the routine of N.E.S.T.

Sideswipe had patrol duty that night and Nova was still off her job. Technically, she was the Autobot/Human liaison, but she could easily figure out that Ratchet had been stalling her appointments for the sake of her "rehabilitation." She still thought that was a horrible word. Just saying it made her _feel_ crazy.

* * *

><p>Sunstreaker was on his way to his next shift, which so happened to be his favorite.<p>

Babysitting.

True, he didn't completely hate it, but the low energy of it all bored him slightly. For the past couple times he's been watching Bonnie—which was oddly more than expected—the mech took it upon himself to... _teach her_... a few new things. One of those said things being what happened to the stupid humans who ever thought it was a good idea to "accidentally" scratch his paint.

He strolled into the rec. room and shifted down for his little charge, slightly eyeing the unnecessary presence that was with them.

"Hey, Sunstreaker," Elita-1 said automatically when she caught a glimpse of him coming up. It wasn't her turn to watch the femme, but watching Bonnie _was_ somewhat entertaining. That little girl could read any 'Bots feelings as if it were a neon sign. Which meant that talking to her usually cleared up one's worries. Temporarily, of course.

"What are you doing here?" he replied in his usual stony, cold self.

"Just playing with the baby," she sighed nonchalantly. In all honesty, she was actually relaying her troubles to the young one, hoping to spark some wisdom out of it.

Bonnie witnessed the stressed looks in this woman's entire being, and she worried deeply about her. Also, the femme kinda bummed the baby out, but Bonnie's sense of compassion was greater than what most people would think. The little girl placed her hand on top of the older woman's, petting the troubles away.

"Well, I'm here to watch her so…" he trailed off, shooing her with a swift motion of his hand. He wanted to let all his otherwise nonexistent emotions pour out in the company of his favorite Bon-Bon.

Elita didn't care that he wanted her to leave, she was too stuck on her thoughts to even notice his impatience. Her problem was the same as before.

Nova.

Why in the 'verse did Prime pick her? Elita _was_ basically his femme counterpart, militarily speaking. And it was her who devoted so much time to _his_ cause, doing whatever _he_ wanted her to do. So why did he choose the femme who came in _just _as the war was getting heated, who he found in the middle of nowhere, and who's processor had infinity and one problems with it? Not to mention, said femme was probably fooling around with that new Mark guy. Why did Optimus still cling to this rather derange 'Bot?

"Why do you think he loves her?" she accidently let out, her processor moving slower than her need to be heard. Now she was second guessing her thoughts. Nova did have a somewhat heart of gold, apologizing and trying to make up whatever might have happened between the two femmes. _No, that's not a good excuse._

"What? What do you mean?" Sunstreaker countered, not really wanting to be in this conversation but, nonetheless, has already been trapped into it.

"Optimus, why do you think he loves her? She's mentally unstable and horribly weak. Granted, her inventions and research has gotten us pretty far but still, that's not enough to go by," she informed. Now, she didn't really care about who heard her, she just wanted to let someone, besides Bonnie, know what was going on with her. Elita turned to face the yellow mech behind her, leaning her arm on the crib and her head on her arm.

"I don't know, Boss 'Bot's just crazy…"

"Crazy in love," she muttered, feeling just as dejected as she did before. "If that's the fact, then why does _she_ still love him? If she remembers him at all," Elita pressed on with her thoughts, determined to find some closure.

"I wouldn't put it past her to fall for the boss," he answered, letting his own mind come up with a reasonable conclusion. "I mean, with the whole Megatron thing she had—" he slipped out unintentionally. Oops. He's going to get slagged.

"What Megatron thing?" Elita interrogated, snapping her head up at the mention of his name.

"Um, uh, you know, that thing that happened a few weeks ago, when she was kidnapped," he tried, hopelessly covering up his blunder.

"No, that's not what you were thinking about. You were going to say something else." By now, Elita was standing up, pointing a very accusing finger towards a stupid, stupid mech.

"No, I wasn't," he answered coolly. It would've been a convincing answer if it hadn't been for Elita's want for anything to help her push Nova under the bus.

"There's something you're not telling me, Sunstreaker. Something I should know, right?" She was creeping dangerously close to him, desperate for his information.

Sunstreaker was tongue tied, but he didn't let it show on his face. Instead, he gave a grunt of disapproval and went to grab the stuffed yellow Lamborghini he had given to Bonnie. He wiggled it in front of her nose, smushing her face and hair gently. She giggled and dropped the red Lamborghini, much to Sunny's amusement.

Something at the back of his head nagged him, saying that if he told her exactly what he knew, some sort of justice would be served. He _did _think that Nova could possibly be a double agent, maybe if he told Elita her history, he could quell any—currently illusory—plans Nova would be planning.

"Sunstreaker."

He was going to regret this… a _lot_.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Nova," Sam said casually, waving her over towards the group.<p>

She hadn't seen these humans in a while. It was a relieving feeling to see them all content and together as they should be. She saw Maggie and Glenn, who had ended up working down in the technical department of N.E.S.T., Leo, who was studying with Glenn to be part of the technical department as well, and of course, Sam and Mikaela, who were just visiting. Nova was slightly taken aback when she heard that the two didn't want to be part of the N.E.S.T. Corporation. It was their choice, though. As long as they would at least visit.

"Hey, it's you! Long time no see, girl," Glenn exclaimed, skipping the handshake and going straight for a friendly hug. He ignored her grunt from the tightness of his hold. It _was_ because of her that he had this cool job.

"Glenn, dear, I think you should let her go," Maggie spoke up, tapping his shoulder so she could have a turn at hugging the femme.

Nova liked her hug better… at least in comparison to the spine crushing tackle she received not a few seconds ago. Her muscles still ached from her training session. _Frag Sides to Pit for his abusive techniques._

She couldn't communicate with the humans, so she used ASL instead, hoping that at least one of them knew how to decipher it. That was a common thing for her to do, especially around the supporters at the base.

'_Hey guys,'_ she signed. Maggie easily read her fingers.

"Aw, you can't talk? What happened to your voice?" she asked.

'_Decepticons.'_

"What did she say?" Leo inquired.

"'Cons," was all Maggie had to say.

"Well, that sucks," he responded, stepping up to give her a hug as well. That's when he heard Nova stifle a groan. "What's wrong? Did I hurt you?"

'_No, Sideswipe kicked my aft earlier. My muscles are still a bit stiff,'_ she replied. She made a show of rolling her shoulders to back up her point.

"Damn right, I kicked your aft," Sideswipe interrupted, walking into the room. It was obvious that not only could he read ASL, he could read it from afar, too. "We had a tough training session." He was answered by a couple "Ohhh's."

"Nova, Nova, Nova!" Bumblebee shouted across the small lounge. Well, small for the Autobots. "Guess what!"

::50 elephants arrived at our front door and Ironhide is trying his very best to not use them as target practice?:: she blurted out, successfully making him stop in his tracks.

"Wait, what? No. What?" he stumbled through his words. His sister must have been really bored to let her imagination roam so freely.

::You told me to guess,:: she said stubbornly. She heard Sideswipe behind her, telling the others what she was saying.

"Whatever, anyway, I've been looking for you all day…"

::… How do you not find a 21 foot robot?...:: He ignored her question and kept on going.

"And Bonnie just had a break through!"

::What? What did my baby do?:: she asked, grabbing her brother by the lapel of his jacket.

"Oh that's right, you were carrying a baby. No wonder you look so different," Leo said. He thought she looked slightly less… pregnant. "How old is she now?"

'_A couple months.'_

Maggie relayed the message to Leo.

"Wait, you were pregnant? So you married Optim—?" She was stopped by the "subtle" motions the others were giving her. "Never mind."

Nova wanted to know exactly what she was about to say. She wondered exactly _who _Maggie thought she may have married. Primus knows that she hasn't been _that_ close with anyone... has she? Nova felt a weird tickle at the back of her processor. There was something she felt like she should know, but Bumblebee took her focus back to the news he came in to say before anything clicked in her brain.

"So, Mizuki and I went to the rec. room last night to check on Bonnie, and—hold on, dramatic pause—she said Sunny's name!" The women of the group fawned over the thought while Sideswipe dropped his jaw to the floor.

That is not fair! Bonnie liked _him_ first! Not his stupid brother. Sides was going to have to give a certain yellow car a talk about where exactly he drew the line when it came to his little Bon-Bon.

"Here, let me replay it," Bee offered, finding the memory. In an instant, a life size hologram of Sunstreaker and Bonnie were standing right in front of them, acting out the scene of last night.

* * *

><p>Megatron was walking around, looking for his elusive charge, longing for the fact that she would forgive him. She <em>would<em> forgive him, right? He walked past the rec. room and heard two people talking. Maybe_ they_ knew where Nova was. Megatron slowly crawled towards them. As he was about to speak up, something reached his ears. A crucial piece of information that he feared he would hear sooner or later. The holoform ducked behind a convenient stack of crates as he listened in.

"… So, Megatron and her…?" Elita-1 trailed off, wanting Sunstreaker to affirm what they had just discussed.

"Yeah. I swore to keep it a secret, but it's not like _keeping _the secret did any harm. The only thing that rubs me the wrong way is what happened a month ago. You know, the kidnapping thing." Elita nodded as he went on. "If you haven't noticed, she fears Starscream, not Megatron. Something tells me that he planted an idea in her head or screwed up her processor."

"You think he could be using her, now?"

"I don't know, he'd need to keep a close optic on her…" he tapered out in the end, pondering on his thoughts.

"What if he planted something in her processor? A virus, maybe," she contemplated.

"No, no, Ratchet told me that there was nothing wrong with it, other than the personal trauma and all, but that's beside the point," he answered, subconsciously twirling a finger on Bonnie's head as she tried to figure out which block goes in which hole.

"Then that would mean she's doing it on her own will. She just needs some sort of reason to do all of this," Elita-1 offered.

"Mark…" Sunstreaker snapped up, on the brink of an epiphany.

Megatron heard his alias and cringed, thinking that he'd been found out. His structure of lies may have as well just fallen on top of him right now.

"… He would know if there was something interfering with her," he finished, completely oblivious to the fact that was sitting right in front of him.

Megatron sighed quietly in relief, backing up and continuing his quest to find Nova. She needed to know this and fast. Little did he know that he'd never get that far.

* * *

><p><strong>(Three Days Later) <strong>

Nova was sleeping peacefully. Well, as peacefully as she could and just stayed in her bed. She took in the calm sound of both her breathing and the one of Bonnie's who was in the crib next to her. Megatron hadn't come back for a while now and that made her worry. She wasn't mad at him, per se, but that still wasn't any good grounds to avoid her. What if he was in danger? She _was_ going to ask Ratchet about his whereabouts, but the medic was either crazy busy or she just let the question slip through her mind.

She mulled about in her brain, her optics still shut as she curled subconsciously tighter in her bed. Is he okay? What if somebody—?

She didn't have time to finish her thought when a bucket of freezing cold water slapped her right in the face. Nova shot up and gasped for air. Letting her optics adjust, she found a very cheeky looking mech starring at her.

::Sides! What the frag?:: she growled, pulling whatever was warm and dry towards her.

"Training starts now," he whispered, taunting her in every way he could. The two had a regular schedule, so far, that consisted of their free afternoons at the sparring hangar. As of late, no one has learned about Sides' little school. Mostly because Nova didn't want to get yelled at and Sideswipe just didn't want any other students. This case was a tough nut to crack, anyway.

::You're going to regret that,:: she threatened, shivering still.

"That's the point, femme. Catch me if you can." The red mech dashed out of the room and narrowly missed the pounce that Nova gave. He phased out his holoform and activated his alt-form, racing away from her as fast as he could without hitting the humans.

Nova was way too groggy to play this game, but went along with it anyway. She shifted to her bipedal mode and started sprinting after the slippery mech. Ratchet would be so proud of her, getting exercise and all.

::Lesson Two, Subsection One: Danger is Everywhere. So you need to be alert… at all times,:: he chuckled through the com-link. ::It's all about how well you can handle a situation.:: He was having fun with this. Now was probably the only chance he'd get to completely humiliate his old friend so he was going to revel in it as much as possible.

When the halls morhped into a stony silence, Sideswipe turned sharply around, checking to see if she was still following him. He felt amused when she was nowhere in sight.

::Giving up, are we?:: he questioned, slowly rolling towards his previous path. The eerie silence started to worry him. Was he taking this too fast for her? She was, in fact, still recovering. A small blip on the side of his peripheral vision told him that something was within the vicinity of his range. But the heat signature he picked up was quicker than he could react.

Nova let out a primal growl as she landed on top of the car. He started to swerve forward, trying to throw her off. When a particular turn managed to tip her over, she grabbed the car and flung it over herself as she rolled onto her back.

Sideswipe shifted in mid air, landing on his feet and printing some wheel burns on the concrete in the process. Not to mention, accidentally digging up parts of the floor as well. Prowl was going to be so pissed. He ran towards the slightly giggling femme as she tried to hasten her pace of getting back on her feet. He was about to pick her up so he could work on his offensive but she had other plans in mind.

As he dashed for her, she grabbed onto his shoulders and slung herself around his back, piggy back style. With that, she giggled even more.

"You're having way to much fun, femme," he said, trying to slam her into the wall.

::And you're getting boring, mech. I thought you were the cool twin,:: she egged him on, her sadistic side peeking out.

Sideswipe felt some assurance when her giggles turned into a grunt as she impacted the wall. He detached himself from her and took a stance.

"It's too late now, I know all your tricks… and weaknesses. Don't think you can escape me this time," he said in a low voice. Nova offered a "Hmph" in retaliation.

::I hope you're not forgetting that I know every single weakness you have. I _was _a CMO in the physical therapy department. This defeat can be as painful as I want it to be,:: she backed. The two circled each other, exchanging menacing banter.

"Ah, ah, ah. My dear, sweet Novella, we're playing on my turf. And that means no using your medical knowledge. Only what I've taught you. Cheap shots are for losers and the desperate... and Sunny," he said, leveling the playing field.

::Fine, if that's how it's going to be. I'm going to jet-judo your aft,:: she snarled, darting low and aimed to slip him off his wheels.

Obviously, Sideswipe was too fast for that. He hopped over the femme and grabbed her shoulders to pick her up as best he could. True, he only came up to about mid chassis on her, but that was enough for the front liner. Sideswipe aimed for her side with a brutal hand but she deflected it downwards, palming his forehead.

"Wanna up the ante?" he asked her, pulling out his blades.

::The little 'Bot wants to play with knives, huh… so be it.:: She pulled out a pair of blades of her own. They were definitely lighter than what Sideswipe had and they were mounted on her forearms. ::Had 'em installed a few days ago.::

"Taking my blades wasn't good enough? You had to go on and make a pair yourself?"

::In a sense,:: she said innocently and shrugged.

Sideswipe took his weapon and made for a slash across her chassis. He was deflected with a scraping piece of metal. Sparks flew in every direction from the contact.

Nova decided it was time to use her legs and took a quick step back to start messing things up with her foot. She made light and otherwise useless hits on parts of his chest, but nothing major.

"You need to work harder than that to pin me down," he grunted as he put his blades away and went back to hand-to-hand. He aimed for the weakest part she had which was her abdomen. One good hit will send her buckling.

She wasn't done with this foolish mech just yet. Nova jump-kicked him right in his chest. Sure, it was usually the most heavily reinforced part, but all she needed was a good head start. Much to her pleasure, he stumbled backwards. Now was her chance. She palmed his chest a few times as well as twice to his face.

Fortunately for him, he saw the small hole through her defensive wall. When she took that split second to breath, he grabbed her wrist and turned her around. He pushed her forward, making her fall to the ground, but she recovered quickly and rolled to face him.

"Nova, what is this mess—?" a random Ironhide spoke up. He really should have just stayed in bed that morning because so many, _many_ bad things happened when he came.

Nova turned around at the sound of her name but Sideswipe was already in the middle of an attack. He didn't have enough time to stop the momentum of his blade that was originally aimed for her shoulder. In the next few seconds, he penetrated the armor on her mid section, making her collapse.

"What the frag are you doing?" Ironhide boomed, racing for his fallen comrade.

"It was an accident! Oh, Primus, Nova I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hit you so hard," Sideswipe stuttered as he tried correcting her position. He sent whatever hate he could towards Ironhide—which is completely useless, by the way. It's not like he had a bond with the grumpy old mech.

Sunstreaker, however, felt his anger and panic. He wanted to know just exactly what was going on with his twin, but was pushed away, seeing as Sideswipe had a few more important matters at hand.

::I'm fine, it's okay, really,:: she said nervously, hissing as they moved her around. Her vision was getting slightly blurry and the feeling of dizziness just wouldn't shake off. She looked down to her stomach and saw something glistening. ::Hey guys, is energon supposed to be running out of me like that?:: she slurred to some degree.

"Prime is going to screw you over to Cybertron and back," Ironhide grumbled after inspecting the femmes injuries. Yeah, today is just not going to be his day.

"He's going to kill me. No matter how much of a pacifist that mech is, he's going to kill me," Sideswipe chirped with a hint of edginess.

::Who's Prime?:: Nova drawled, obviously no longer in her right mind.

Then all she knew was darkness.

* * *

><p><em>Well that's it for now folks! If my characters happen to feel a bit OOC, please tell me, because it is freaking hard to write this story from both Optimus' and Megatron's POV without bending their character's a bit. Please review or favalert! I need it for my brain to have writing juice! _

**_~Replies~_**

**_bee-roxs98: _**_I appreciate your review and your strong will power! Here's your weekly dose of SamAP story (I hope I gave it to you just in time!) P.S. Mega-butt has already gotten himself in some deep slag and its just going to be Pit the next time you read about him._

**_DarkAngelMel2: _**_Having every sentient being wrapped around Bonnie's little finger is just the first part of her world. This little girl has a few tricks up her sleeves that sadly will not be revealed until a later story. Thanks for your review (^O^) *virtual hug*_

**_Dreaming Out Loud since '98: _**_I've taken it upon myself to watch the cartoons as well (I need to 'study' a lot more). I've been watching the Generation 1 version though. To be honest, I did not know that Bonny meant pretty. But I guess it's fitting, she is a cute little devil. Since Wheeljack has some Scottish in him (in the movie he has an accent and I hope that I guessed correctly that it was Scottish. I can't really remember, heheh) I might have him mention it, if you don't mind. I'm so glad that you're going to start writing a TF fanfic. It overjoys me that I (hopefully *wink-wink*) amongst many others I'm sure, have inspired you somewhat to write one. Tell me when it's up, I want to read it ;)._

**_~Don't be a stranger ;D_**


	11. Wait, Wait, What?

_ You guys are lucky-freaking-ducks! I have posted three chapters within this single weekend. *drops dead from overworked-ness*_

**_Alter Ego#2: _**_OMG! Someone save her! The story isn't over yet, she needs to be alive to finish it!_

**_Me: _**_Gee, thanks #2._

**_Alter Ego#3: _**_What the hey-hey was that for?_

**_Me: _**_What do you mean?_

**_Alter Ego#3: _**_I mean that you locked us up for almost a month! You know, it's really hard to breath when you're crammed inside that overstuffed head of yours._

**_Me: _**_I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do it, but—I just—I don't—_

**_Alter Ego: She doesn't own anything and stuff so don't bother suing! _**_Now... let's 'catch up' shall we?_

**_Me: _**_Et tu, #1?_

* * *

><p>"You… what?" a deep baritone asked, bewildered at the crimson mech standing in front of him.<p>

"Boss 'Bot, don't get mad, please! It was an accident, I swear! You know I could never hurt her like that!" Sideswipe pleaded, hoping that Optimus was feeling copious that day. His nerves were obviously frayed from the earlier incident.

The regal mech vented air sharply through his intakes, clearing his thoughts for a split second. He knew something like this would happen. It was inevitable, with the war going on and whatnot. He just never thought that one of his soldiers would've been the cause.

"Sideswipe," he started with melancholy, obviously catching the trembling mech off guard. "May I ask you something?"

"Sure, anything, Boss," he answered, a bit too quickly for his liking. He was just glad that Optimus was directing the focus off of him. At least for now.

"Do you know why Nova had been moved around to different branches of work in her past career?" By this, he was referring to the fact that she was first assigned menial labor, then onto medical issues, a few scouting trips, and so on when Nova had began to work for the Autobot cause.

"B-because she was flexible?" Sideswipe couldn't shake the feeling that somehow, in some way, this was a trick question.

"To be honest, it was my vain attempt at keeping her safe. I am not proud of doing so, but regardless, I have. Most importantly, I've kept her away from most of the dangers of battle, especially because I would have expected this as an outcome," he admitted. _Painfully_ admitted. True to his word, back on Cybertron, he had strategically placed Nova around different areas where he knew she would be safest. Now that they were on Earth, everywhere he looked all had the same threat level.

"But, Optimus, you should've seen the way she fights," Sides defended. "It's pretty good for someone who has next to no experience in actual combat. Granted, her form was a bit off, but that's what she asked me to help her with. Be honest, Boss, we need more front-liners out there." Was he really asking Optimus Prime to put previous medic/scout/law enforcer/researcher/inventor/scientist/mother Nova into a completely different element of brutal fighting?

Yes, yes he was.

"She's got that same fire in her spark that Sunny and I had when we started out. I know you want to protect her and all, but at least give her a chance. If it's what she wants to do, she should, right?"

Optimus had to think about this. Sure, it would be selfish of him to keep her locked up and away from the tortures of the universe like some sort of porcelain doll, but to what expense? She would never really be happy and he knew it. Besides, you can only keep the entire cosmos from someone for only so long.

"… Under a few conditions," the boss-mech sighed hesitantly.

"Anything! Anything at all!"

He saw how the younger 'Bot started overflowing slightly with joy, but Optimus made sure to quell the overreaction. "You must first let her recover from your blunder, training will only ensue under the supervision of Ironhide, and do your best to not kill her," he let out exasperatedly.

"Of course, Boss 'Bot! Whatever you say," Sideswipe relays honestly. For some odd reason, he'd always wanted to see Nova out on the battle field with the rest of them. Something about scaring the scrap out of the idiot Decepti-creep who would think it was a good idea to mess with them. It worked when they were younger so why wouldn't it work now?

"Now, onto the matters of your punishment…" Optimus interjected.

Sideswipe let out an overdramatic groan. He'd almost forgotten why he was called there in the first place.

"You are to work under Prowl for as long as he sees fit." In reality, Optimus was just hoping that Prowl would assign him to do some of the grunt work. It was a good excuse.

"What? Prowler? Oh, Primus, Optimus, please! Anyone but him!" the young mech groveled. "I think he has it out for me," he whispered. Though, his attempts were wasted as anything he said would do absolutely nothing for him. Whenever you had to report to Prowl for your assignments, you know you're in deep slag.

He hung his head low and wheeled out of Prime's office in a dejected manor only to be met by a curious Lennox.

"Hey, Sideswipe, what was all the commotion earlier?" he asked, jogging up to the mech's foot.

"Must you remind me of my failures?" Sideswipe countered in a mock angry attitude.

"If it gives me answers… yes," Will replied with a cheeky smirk.

"Asshole," he grumbled, skating to his punishment.

"Hey! You didn't answer my question!" Lennox called out, internally laughing at his friend's actions.

"I sliced Nova in half, happy?" he barked back. Sides couldn't see it, but he just knew that Lennox had the look of someone who just saw a puppy being punched in the face.

And he enjoyed it.

* * *

><p>Ratchet exhaled deeply after plopping himself down in his chair. The past few hours had been Pit for the poor mech. And he had to work fast when his recurring patient had "casually" stopped by. When Sideswipe and Ironhide brought in a stasis locked femme, he knew that someone was going to have to pay.<p>

Turns out, the gash in her midsection was easy enough to repair. It was the ruptured main line that plagued the medic. It was one of the important lines so he had to attend to it with gentle fingers, which was never an easy thing for the battle hardened mech.

Bottom line; he got her vitals back to normal and she was currently in a comatose state, but nothing too serious. So now, all that was left was for Nova to decide when she wanted to wake up.

_At least if she's in a coma, she can't do any more damage to herself_, Ratchet thought to himself somewhat bitterly.

"Jolt, help me clean up this mess," he ordered his apprentice. Tools were lying in every direction around his workspace and not to mention a few pools of spilt energon.

The blue mech quickly did as he was told, feeling a small pang of pity as he saw his comrade bedridden on the adjacent berth.

"How long do you think she'll be like this?" he asked warily.

"According to my scans, about two days if her body holds up. I shouldn't expect it to go anywhere past four days," he affirmed confidently. "Can you bring her to the recovery bay and hook her up to an I.V.?"

"Of course," Jolt answered, abandoning the welder in his hand and gingerly picking up the femme.

Ratchet continued his tedious chore of cleaning up when someone decided to stop by.

"Is she here?" Sunstreaker asked bluntly as he barged silently into the room.

The lime-green mech could see something in Sunstreaker's hand but couldn't quite make it out. What he did make out was the small insection trailing behind him. His name was Jeffy, right?

"Be careful, Sunstreaker, get any vaguer and you'll put Prime, himself, to shame," he grumbled at him. Ratchet wasn't in a good mood to start with, and seeing the horrible insection that had caused his equipment so much harm wasn't making it any better.

"You know who I'm talking about; Nova," he answered reluctantly. The very name felt foreign and odd on his vocals. "Bonnie wanted her," he stated straightforwardly.

"How do _you_ know?" Ratchet asked, scoffing at the idea. Sunstreaker held out his hand with the mysterious object captured inside of it so he could see. Apparently, the yellow 'Bot thought it would be easier to carry around the child if she were in her car seat.

"Mah?" a small voice squeaked as it peeked its head out from under the visor. She started babbling nonsense to the medic in front of her as if he knew exactly what she was saying. Bonnie retreated back under the red and gold visor when she realized that the robot she was talking to wouldn't give her to her mommy.

"She's been asking for that femme since this morning, when Ironhide picked her up," Sunstreaker informed.

"Nova's kind of busy right now."

"What is she doing that is more important that her daughter?" Sunstreaker snarled, offended at the thought of _anything_ being placed at a higher priority.

"She's in a coma."

"Oh." Well, now he feels downright stupid.

"Take Bonnie to Optimus, she'll get distracted by him." Ratchet was briefly answered by a gruff nod.

Sunstreaker strode out of there and towards Prime's office. He hadn't noticed the absence of a certain little insection from under his legs.

Jeffy—who was now painted yellow with silver stripes around his servos—scampered towards the recovery bay, undetected by the mechs above him. He searched for his symbiotic host and found her still form in one of the rooms. As he reached her helm, the sound of transformation could be heard and he wrapped himself around her left audio capacitor.

Much to his pleasure, Nova was still able to access her processor, thus making conversation with him quite easy.

[Mental Status: Stable. Awaiting response.]

_Jeffy? Is that you? How are you contacting me?_

[Symbiotic bond.]

_Oh yeah. So, while you're here, what's going on with me?_

[Status: Comatose.]

_Of course I am. Do you know what happened with Sideswipe?_

[Reprimanded by Prowl.]

_Serves him right._

Jeffy had an actual reason for visiting Nova. Something that had been biting at him for a while now. He just had to ask her.

[May I inquire?]

_Yeah, anything._

[Why were you interacting with the Decepticon leader?]

_Oh, that. Um, Jeffy, look, frankly, I don't know either. My processor is giving me small snippets of the past and my spark is sending out these weird signals whenever I was around him. I guess I just thought that—maybe—he could answer my questions somehow._

Being her symbiote, he could tell that she was speaking the truth and he could easily double check by running through the files in her mind. Nova had her processor erased so many times that it easily conflicted with what she knew was a lie and the dependable truth.

[Sunstreaker and Elita-1 are getting suspicious of your actions. I sense that they are planning something.]

_Do they think I'm a Decepticon?_ Nova thought with a hint of outrage. Sure, she was technically half Decepticon, but her father was now a full, 100% Autobot, as was she. There was nothing to doubt. Well, except for her past—and current—relations with Megatron, but that was beside the point.

[Negative, they think you are being controlled by Megatron. As do I. I fear that you are being manipulated.]

_Now, now, Jeffy, I can assure you that I'm not being manipulated. Just… confused is all. I haven't even heard from him in a while. Speaking of which, have you seen him?_

[No. I don't think anyone has.]

_That's disturbing._ Nova was feeling a little torn. He said that he'd stay with her until she got better. Was that a lie? Or was he really in trouble? Maybe something more important came up. Yeah, that's it.

[Are you functioning correctly? I am receiving distressing signals from you.]

_Jeffy? I know you might not feel comfortable about this, but can you look for him, please? I'm getting worried. _

If that insection could sigh, he would.

[Of course.] He answered hesitantly. Darn his overwhelming loyalty to his symbiotic host!

* * *

><p><strong>(Later That Day: 10 P.M.)<strong>

The day had been fairly normal, a little on the quite side. Except for the slight mishap with Sideswipe and Prowl. If idle hands are the devils play things, Sideswipe was _beyond_ the line of boredom and insanity.

Optimus was currently located at the shooting range, blasting away the time with a stoic Ironhide. The Autobot leader had a lot on his mind and it was obvious.

Ironhide had been in the shooting range as long as Optimus had been and both established a mutual silence. They were both focusing on their weapons. Or at least Ironhide was. As dense as some people might think he is, he could tell if his friend was thinking a bit too much.

"What's wrong, Prime?" he finally asks, breaking the silence that spanned for about half an hour.

"Why do you suggest something is wrong?" Prime retorted, still a little lost in his thoughts.

"I've known you for too long. There's nothing you can hide from me," he answered as he fired a relatively fierce shot to a holo-con's head.

Optimus gave a deep sigh before lowering his own cannon. Apparently, he's been in such a deep funk that he's resorted to using guns instead of his much preferred close range weapons. Wow, he really _did_ have something wrong with him.

"It's Nova, isn't it?" Ironhide stated, more of a confirmation than a question.

"I just, don't know if I made the correct decision. Allowing Sideswipe to teach her such things. Maybe if I kept a closer watch on her—" he started but was abruptly cut off.

"_That's_ the problem, Prime. Your watch on her is _too_ close." Irornhide saw the momentary confusion dance across his comrade's face. And with that, he gave an exasperated sign. It could also be interpreted as a soft groan, but that didn't really matter. "The humans have this saying, 'If you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it's yours…'"

"… 'If it doesn't, it never _was _yours,'" he finished.

"Well, you just made that more somber than it needs to be," Ironhide muttered, rolling his optics. "Point is, let her go. I know she loves you; she'll come back."

"Easy for you to say, Chromia knows exactly who you are, where you are, and isn't scared to death about it."

"Okay, seriously, Prime? Get your head out of the gutters and be positive. What happened to our Autobot leader? I liked him, and I bet you that's who Nova fell in love with in the first place. Not some pitiful piece of metal," he grumbled somewhat. Ironhide blasted another holo-con—completely obliterating it in the process—and left without another word.

Optimus had some free time left and decided to do something more productive than mope. Ironhide was right. Nova needed some space… so he went to give the med bay a quick visit. He didn't want to go to the med bay just because a certain femme was there. Nope, not at all.

Okay, maybe. But he was going to be composed and give her a civilized visit.

A mix of worry and happiness troubled him. Worry because he wanted to be sure Nova was okay and that his "visit" wasn't going to mess her up anymore. Happiness because this was as close of contact with her he'll get in a long time. She's in a coma, so what harm could he possibly do?

Upon entering the wide doors, he was instantly stopped by an obviously recharge deprived medic.

"Prime, I know what you're doing… get out!" he snapped, not wanting to have to deal with the necessities of things such as manners.

"It's just a visit. I won't do anything, I promise. Besides, you said it yourself, she's in a coma. A _coma_, Ratchet," he enunciated.

Ratchet honestly couldn't find anything wrong with letting Prime see her for once. That, and the fact that he has had a Pit of a day.

"Primus, give me strength," he muttered under his breath before stepping to the side and allowing the towering mech access to the recovery bay.

Optimus offered a nod of thanks and made his way towards the back of the med bay. After locating the correct room, he entered quietly, as if he might wake up the resting femme. She looked so peaceful just laying there… so innocent. Much like she was before this loathsome war.

Even though Nova was absent from the world, she could feel him there with her. Being trapped in her state drove her slightly crazy. This presence she felt next to her was vaguely familiar.

"What have I done?" Optimus whispered softly to himself, gently tracing her helm with a single digit. He pulled up a chair and sat in that position for a while, taking in her silent vibes. His servo had hers intertwined within it and it was pressed against his lip plates.

Now, Nova was just straight up pissed. The feeling of whoever—or whatever—that was beside her reminded the femme of someone she knew. In her mind, everything was currently pitch black, given that she's locked in emergency stasis. But now, there was a faint blue glow coming from the direction this thing was. It felt safe, and she wanted to be near it.

Optimus tried to call her out with his spark. It was an otherwise impossible thing to attempt, considering that they had no connection anymore. Yet, for whatever crazy, outlandish reason… he kept trying.

This… _presence_… was getting stronger. The faint glow morphed into a bright beam of light and Nova wanted to enter it. Slowly, she prodded herself into said light, testing the waters, so to speak. The single contact of that mystical essence did not give the results Nova was hoping. It was painful. No, not painful… _excruciating_. It was an agonizing liquid fire that terrorized her entire being, nevertheless, she pushed on.

The monitors in the room started beeping at a faster pace and it easily caught Optimus' attention. He quickly glanced at the screens then back at the femme. She couldn't move, but he could tell that she was in a deep pain. He could _hear _her systems overworking themselves. The mech helped in the only way he knew how, he kept reaching out to her.

All of a sudden, she was enveloped in the light. Everything around her was now a blindingly bright blue. As quick as the pain came, it left. Her senses came back online. She could now literally feel someone adjacent to her. Someone clutching her servo for dear life.

"What happened?" she faintly heard Ratchet say. The sound was distant, like she was listening from the opposite side of a door.

"I'm not sure, but by the looks of it, she's better now," an angelic voice sang. It was unlike anything she's ever heard, while being something she was so familiarized with at the same time.

"She's going to come to consciousness sooner than I thought. You should head out now, before she wakes," Ratchet advised.

"O-of course," the voice graced the world a bit hesitantly.

_Why would Ratchet want whoever this is to go? _She beckoned the "presence" one last time and found out a bit of crucial information.

He was her missing puzzle piece.

Optimus reached for her once more before leaving the room swiftly.

Ratchet walked up to the stirring femme and scanned her thoroughly. It wouldn't be a lie if he said that what happened next was completely unexpected.

The ever glowing light started becoming the comforting shapes and outlines of a standard recovery room. Then Nova sat up. Just… sat up. Like someone would after waking up from a bad dream.

Or in her case, a good one.

No words were exchanged. She looked to him and he looked at her. Then, she walked off.

"This can't be good," he muttered to himself, following the femme closely. Her "stroll" was a bit quicker than anticipated so he started a slow jog to catch up. "Um, Nova, where are you going?" he asked casually.

::Finding someone,:: she answered almost monotonously.

"Who would that be?"

::The 'presence,':: she said as she turned the corner out into the hallways.

"'The presence?'" he asked, praying that Prime hadn't somehow messed up her processor again.

::Wait. Ratchet, you were talking to him. Where did he go? Who is he?:: she asked, tone completely void of emotion.

He was a bit tongue tied in this situation. It was irrational to have her see Optimus again. Who knew what the outcome might be?

"Why are you looking for this 'presence?'" he changed the topic with.

::Because he's my missing piece,:: she answered as if it was the most obvious answer in the world.

"Nova, can you look for him later? You kind of just woke up from a coma. I need you to come back with me so we can make sure you're all fine," he asked as sweetly as his personality would allow.

She stopped walking for a bit to consider his proposition. After a few kliks, she nodded her head.

::Okay. It would be best if I continued my journey while all my systems are functioning correctly,:: she stated with a lifeless voice.

"Yeah, sure," he said, playing along with her little game. "Thank you."

* * *

><p>The second Ratchet was done with the usual check-up, she snuck away, not wanting to answer any more questions from him. She had to find this thing before the suspense kills her. Somehow, she ended up outside the base. Her spark tugged her in that direction.<p>

She passed all the guards without as much as a word. Someone was going to find her eventually, but by then, she hoped she would at least figure out who the "presence" was.

Now, she was just letting her feet and instincts take over while her helm was tilted upwards, scanning the night sky, taking in all its beauty. Searching for her old home.

In her mind, she was going over the list of mechs she knew that could possibly be the "presence." But no one fit the description. This mech would have to be connected to Megatron in one way or another because the two of them felt so similar. As far as her database went, she didn't know anyone who might be linked up with the Decepticon leader.

Her helm was still towards the sky when she accidently bumped into something. It was a pretty big something because she fell on her back. One look up and she saw that it was a cave entrance.

_Since when were there caves around this part of the island?_

She looked behind her and saw that she was nowhere near the actual base anymore. In fact, she didn't recognize any of this territory. It's official, she was lost.

_Well, frag._

As her feet started leading her back to anywhere else but there, a curious groaning sound caught her attention. Nova had nothing else to lose, so… in she went.

_Please don't be a monster. Please don't be a monster._ She repeated that little mantra in her head. Something about watching _way_ too many old, cheesy monster movies really gets to you.

Another sound echoed through the cave walls. It resembled a creaking floorboard, albeit vaguely. Nova followed the oddity deeper into the damp enclosure. Something about this place looked creepily familiar. Her trail of breadcrumbs had suddenly stopped and the entire place instantaneously adopted an eerie silence.

Slowly—and ever so carefully—she took a wary step forward, which resulted in accidently knocking over a stalagmite. It echoed excessively around the enclosed space. There was a loud scrape that made itself audible. It was as if she had frightened someone.

Gingerly turning the corner, she spotted a glint of metal, mangled and distorted out of the range of acceptability.

At first glance, it seemed as if it was just an abandoned scrap pile. But it moved slightly. Had Nova not been watching intently, the gesture would have gone unnoticed. She crawled closer to the pile and saw a vague outline of a body.

"R-run," an equally distorted voice came from it. Whoever it was sounded as if he were gargling nails. He was obviously struggling to stay online, but only long enough to warn the puzzled femme. "Ru-un!" he strained again to speak.

Nova shook her head. She was _not_ about to leave this mech behind, even if she didn't know where his allegiances lie. Of course, if he was warning her, then he must have good intentions, right? Nova kneeled beside the beaten piece of metal, gently caressing his face in her servos.

She realized two things in that glance.

One, his optics were red.

Two…

It was Megatron.

* * *

><p><em> Oh noes! It be a cliffy! I'm sorry, I couldn't resist ;). I have a question for you guys, if any of you super Transformers fans are reading this, please tell me more about Jolt's personality. I want to get it right. Thanks for your support guys!<em>

**_~Replies~_**

**_bee-roxs98: _**_Mwauhaha, you have yet to learn of Mega-butt's fate! Sorry for le torture. When she heard OP's name, it was more of a neutral reaction. It tickled a small funny bone in her brain but nothing more._

**_belle and the beast: _**_I'm glad that my story pleases your reading needs! Thanks for your uplifting words ;)_

**_Dreaming Out Loud since '98: _**_Sadly my dear friend, the secret has yet to actually come to terms with the other 'Bots. For now it's just mild speculation... but not for long *shifty eyes*. And no, Elita-1 isn't necessarily that much of a jealous bi—ahem—glitch. That's kinda what I meant by characters being slightly OOC (out of character). Regardless, I'd think this is how a normal (well, normal-ish) person would react if someone had supposedly 'stolen' the love of their lives, and no matter how hard you try, you can't get them back. You know what I mean? Thanks for your review! P.S. If you haven't already, double check Chp. 10 for the response to your review. I feel that you should read it *cheeky smile*._

**_DarkAngelMel2: _**_Welcome back to fanfiction! You must've had one heck of a time catching up, and for that I deeply apologize. Nova just doesn't want to feel like dead weight, it's obvious since OP has been purposely putting her out of the action. And, you already know by now but, Elita-1+Sunstreaker=Mass Destruction (at least to relationships anyway). And you also know this by now as well, but unfortunately, Sides has had Pit to pay, courtesy of Optimus Prime. _

**_~Don't be a stranger ;D_**


	12. Do I Know You?

_Gah, I was a day late! Sorries! But I have a secret to share with you. Remember when I may have said that I had good timing... I lied. My timing really likes to trip me up. Anyway, I would like to thank my beta Ryle Culler because even though crazy things happen, the chapters still get beta approved. Sooo THANK YOU! _

**_Alter Ego#3: _**_How dare you lie to your readers! I thought you were better than that!_

**_Me: _**_Do you want a cookie?_

**_Alter Ego#3: _**_Maybe..._

**_Me: _**_Then you know what to do._

**_Alter Ego#3: _**_*sigh* **She doesn't own anything and the goals are at the bottom.**_

**_P.S. If you want to hear a song that I think describes ol' Megsy's situation in this story, listen to Someone Like You by Adele!_**

* * *

><p>"RUN!" Megatron repeated, slightly stronger than the other times he had. And just like the other times, Nova didn't listen. He figured that she wouldn't leave until she knew exactly what had happened to him. If only Megatron had thought about that before it was a klik too late.<p>

"It's… a trap!" he gurgled, barely able to talk. Energon was flooding his punctured air intakes.

Nova stopped fretting over his sorry state and took action. She obviously did not care if someone was about to stab her with a serrated, ten foot, energon blade. Megatron was going to get fixed if he wanted it or not.

As quickly as she could, Nova pulled out her medical supplies and roughly patched up the penatrated lines on his upper back and throat. It took her a grand total of three minutes before her sensors detected movement. By now, the borderline 'Con in her arms was just a few welds away from being fully repaired. Too bad she didn't have that kind of time.

"Stupid femme!" a screechy voice cackled behind her. He shot her with his null ray but missed by a single hair.

Nova gave a hearty yelp as she dodged the assault. Turning around, she locked optics with the source of her current fears. Starscream. The shock had her locked up and frozen as if she _were_ hit with the null-ray.

"Come back for more, traitor? There is other business that needs attending to," he growled sadistically. This cat and mouse game Starscream was playing with the elusive femme was more than fun for him and he decided to enjoy it as much as he could. Especially because it added to the revenge he was employing onto his _former_ leader.

"Starscream!" Megatron snarled painfully.

"Shut up, Megatron! You have failed this mission once, I will not let your inferior _feelings_ get in the way again!" he snapped.

Nova hadn't noticed, but during their spiteful argument, she had stood stock-still, breathing heavily, as well. Which made no apparent sense, given the fact that exhaling air in uncomfortable intervals was a completely human characteristic.

"This doesn't… need to… happen!" Megatron strained to say. Sure, he wanted to protect Nova, but he also wanted to protect the other femmes the Autobots were harboring. Forcing a spark bond was a boundary well overstep, even for Decepticon standards.

"The only reason we are losing this war is because you refuse to take drastic action. That's all going to change… today." Starscream's optics darted towards Nova for a split second, insinuating the dangers to come. "… Starting with your favorite, little femme."

It only took Nova a klik to see where he was going with this, and she dodged out of the way of his pounce in time. She was starting to panic like crazy because, not only was he seven feet taller than her, he was also faster. Nova darted under him only to find herself cornered in… well… a corner. She turned around to see him charging at her and used the boulder behind her for momentum. Nova jumped up and swiftly kicked hard at his chest with both feet. She aimed for his null ray and managed to crack it a little.

_Sideswipe, please let your training sessions not be in vain._ Her spark lifted slightly when she managed to clip a chunk of metal off his face.

"Grr, femme! Stop being difficult!" Starscream was fed up and just grabbed her by the mid section, throwing her to the ground. He stomped a heavy foot onto her thigh, successfully crushing its basic support and rendering it useless.

Nova let out an energon-boiling scream as he did so. The putrid, metal turd even had the gall to rub his foot deeper into the wound, sputtering around energon and purple chunks of armor. She could feel both the pain in her leg and the pain in Megatron's spark at his helplessness. Her optics spared a glance towards the crippled mech and saw the fear and animosity in his entire frame.

Amongst her screams, just then—_only_ then—did she think about contacting the others for backup. Stupid femme.

::Ratchet!:: she hollered, barely suppressing the agony in her voice.

::Nova! Where are you? What's wrong?:: he replied quickly. Ratchet had been searching for her the second she slipped from his sensors.

::I don't know—Ahh!—Help me!:: she shrieked. Even _she_ could hear the feedback from her com-link.

::I need a location, Nova! I can't find you on the grid,:: he said hurriedly.

Well, at least now, Nova knew her GPS broke. She felt herself being picked up by the detestable mech in front of her. He kicked her hard until she was stopped by an adjacent cave wall. It disoriented her slightly, but not enough to stop her call for help.

::Um, I don't know! I don't recognize it. I'm pretty sure it's far from base. And I'm in a cave,:: she exclaimed, trying, and failing, to crawl away from Starscream's brutal attacks.

::Cave? Oh, the irony,:: he let out, sounding almost relieved.

::What irony?::

::Not now, help will be over soon. Hold on, Nova,:: he said, cutting off the line.

_I'm about to die and he's got jokes,_ Nova thought bitterly. Her grudge was quickly forgotten when she was pinned by Starscream's massive arms. He didn't even bother finding the mechanism that opened her spark chamber. The primitive ape started ripping at her casing!

"This isn't going to be easy for you, femme. And your idiot Prime isn't here to save the d—" He was abruptly cut off by a sharp and heinous pain in his side. A quick look up and he saw none else but Prime himself.

He really should start watching what he says sometimes.

Between his short breaths of murderous torment, he tried to detach himself from the blade that was thrown into him. Before Optimus could catch him, Starscream transformed into a jet and flew above the mech and out of the cave.

"Coward," both Optimus and Megatron snarled in unison. The sound of their voices sparked somewhat of an awkward silence.

Megatron didn't know what exactly to expect. He propped himself up into a sitting position as he watched Prime creep closer to him. He was ready to fight if the situation called for it, but he prayed to Primus that such a scenario wouldn't arise.

Optimus was at a loss for words as well. How was he supposed to react to his age old enemy? Apparently his first instinct was to fight. He pulled out his swords and took a battle stance.

"You going to kill me, Prime?" Megatron chuckled. "I thought you Autobots had some sort of principle about this."

"You know nothing of how we operate," he growled back.

"Au contraire, Prime. I've seen exactly…" He trailed off when he caught a glimpse of Nova's silent plead to not let anything slip out. His morals told him to listen to her.

Nova was a little more than shell-shocked when she saw this unknown mech walk into their fight. Her optics were adjusting to the dark and when she finally focused on who the mech was, she started hyperventilating. Again, another completely human characteristic.

This ungraceful breathing caught the attentions of everyone in the room, though none paid too much mind for they were obviously in the middle of a heated verbal battle.

"You've seen exactly what, Megatron?" Optimus retorted, hating every second he had to be in the same area as this 'Con. That was a pretty big deal, considering that Prime hated absolutely no one. He would even go as far as backing up _Soundwave's_ intentions if the need be.

"I've seen the outcome of your strategies!" Megatron countered. If he wasn't going to expose Nova, then he'd hit Prime where it hurt the most. "Just look at that femme! She's in fear of _you,_ her leader! Now what does that look like to you, huh? Are you torturing one of your own? I'd expect more of you." His plan was working perfectly. Megatron could practically _see_ the anger emanating from Optimus.

Nova was watching the two bicker, but mostly this Prime character. He was exactly like the figure from her imagination that plagued her for the past couple months. So why did he feel so… safe? She didn't want to step into that thought too much in fear that if she did, it would hurt her more than it would help. There _was_ one other fact that she lingered on… Starscream was getting away.

"Don't you dare twist my words! I give my colleagues more respect than I've seen you give yours. She's completely safe with us!" Optimus rebutted.

"So tell me why she's lying there, in pain!" Megatron roared.

"Stop it!" a long forgotten voice hollered. The two mechs immediately froze and turned to the staggering femme who was using the cave wall as support. Her leg was obviously not going to work any time soon. "Stop fighting," she said at a much quieter tone, shifting petrified optics between the two of them.

"Did you just…?" Optimus started, but stopped when he saw her flinch away from him.

Her processor was having such a meltdown right now, it probably triggered her speech. At least, that's what Nova came up with. Her mind just couldn't juggle all her symptoms at once.

"L-look, I'm not really sure who you are, why you're here, or why you hate each other when you feel so alike, but what I do know is that you two need to stop fighting and realize your _real _enemy. Starscream, and he's getting away," she said with hesitation sprinkled in at ever other word.

"She's right," Megatron informed.

Optimus was not expecting that at the least.

"Prime, as much as we both hate it… we need a truce. You need me to find him and don't doubt it for even one astrosecond," he said, starring down the mech standing over him. A seemingly long amount of time passed before Optimus gave an answer.

"No."

"What?" Megatron half growled.

"No. I cannot risk the lives of the rest of the Autobots and humans for the fate of one Decepticon," he said stubbornly.

Megatron was about to retort with a smart-aft comeback but was interrupted by Nova's affective words.

"Wait, please. You don't know Starscream. If Megatron dies, Starscream is going to make it Pit for everyone he sees. Not only will all of us suffer, Cybertron will get no closer to being saved than it is now," she pleaded, starting strong but slightly faltering when that horrible, tearing feeling came back to her as she spoke to this Optimus Prime 'Bot. To her, he still didn't look moved by the mini speech she gave, so she offered what little she had left. "After the truce, we'll forget everything. Just pretend it never happened… _All_ of it." By this, she was subliminally hinting to Megatron about their forbidden relationship.

"Everything?" he asked, also referring to their shared lives.

"Everything," she enunciated, effectively crushing his spark in the process. "Each… little… memory."

Optimus was just plain lost in all this echoing. But, if it meant _that_ much to Nova, there was no harm. Besides, it sounded like Megatron had information that he shouldn't, so it was a win-win. He hoped.

The Decepticon lord knew what he was giving up, and he knew that this was the inevitable, but he just didn't know it was going to hurt this much. It would make Nova happy. It was for the best. So, why didn't he feel that way?

"The terms of the truce are legitimate. I accept," Optimus stated. He looked towards Megatron, pending on his answer.

Megatron looked down on the ground, suddenly interested in that more than their conversation. Finally, he gave a heavy sigh, holding back the emotion he thought was forever lost when he became a leader. Sadness. Longing. Regret.

"I accept, as well," he uttered hesitantly. With a glance at the crawling femme, he too saw the mixed feelings in her optics. He saw the way she was conflicted with herself. At least he wasn't alone in this pain.

"Thank you," she whispered so quietly that you'd think she was just breathing. Nova finished his repairs in silence and haste. A grand total of one klik passed before her little project was in the best fighting condition he could be in.

"We'll be back," Optimus reassured as his larger counterpart rose next to him. He was still a little apprehensive on how she felt about him, maybe her processor was repaired enough to at least make Nova's actions civil around him. To his surprise, she responded positively.

"I'm holding you to that," Nova directed to Optimus, then to Megatron.

The 'Con kneeled in front of her and gazed into her optics. No words were exchanged as he gently caressed her faceplates. In return, he saw her lean into his clawed palm.

With a glance backwards, they dashed away, leaving Nova to crawl her way to the mouth of the cave. "Be safe," she warbled as she witnessed them trail off.

The trip began with an awkward silence as the two sprinted towards wherever Megatron was leading them. Optimus dared to break the mutuality.

"What was that for?" he asked, no tone in his voice to insinuate anything else.

"Be more specific, Prime."

"You know what I mean," he almost snarled back. They jumped over a fallen tree before Megatron answered.

"I saw it as my last chance to change the past. Right the wrongs," he offered truthfully.

"So, it was wrong for her to choose me?" Optimus asked, guessing that there was a relationship between the two. It certainly _seemed_ to be that way.

"It was wrong for her to have to forget who she really loves," he growled, tired of the pointless questions. "Think about it, Prime. Does she really love _you_? Or does she love who you resemble… Brother?"

"What makes you so sure of that fact, brother?" This time, Optimus really did snarl. Just because he was characteristically calm and patient didn't mean that he couldn't rip the slag out of the next mech who crossed his path.

"When you found her, she had her memory erased, yes? Well, not everything can be erased. There will always be traces of that memory spread amongst other pieces of data. She _knows,_ Prime. She knows your spark signature is a mirror image of mine. Which is why she chose the most familiar mech of everyone she knew, and that just so happened to be you. It's obvious that she loved, and _still_ loves, _me_ more," Megatron taunted. He liked seeing his brother get riled up and angry over small and meaningless facts. It just reminded him who really is in control. At least, that's what Megatron thought.

"So ask yourself, Prime, does she really love you?"

"And if she does? Are you _really_ the one she wants to come back to? Or does it only seem that way because her processor is slightly malfunctioning?" Optimus retorted. He's got a few facts of his own that he'd like to shove down Megatron's throat.

Unfortunately, the conversation had to end because a certain mech decided to fire a null ray right between the two leaders.

"Starscream, you fool!" Megatron barked.

"If anything, _you_ are the fool, Megatron! You turn your back against the entire Decepticon cause for a stupid, little traitor!" Starscream screeched in his horrible voice.

"Care to act on those words?" he reiterated. Although, it was more a statement than a question because he started charging towards the mech in front of him. With one swift move, a mace appeared in place of his servo and was swung violently towards Starscream.

Optimus joined in and unsheathed his swords. He, too, ran for the lowly 'Con and managed to slice deep into his wing.

Megatron swung once more to his face and effectively knocked him down.

Starscream was not terminated just yet. He whipped out his saw and hacked at the feet of whichever mech was close to him. He caught a good sweep at Megatron, making him fall and open a deep gash on an energon line, but in turn earned a mace to the chest. His spark chamber was dented heavily and it pained him to move, but he knew he had to.

Optimus quelled his hopes because the towering leader took his sword and pierced the spark casing, barely making contact with the spark itself. Starscream's systems immediately put him into emergency stasis lock, which was exactly what Optimus was hoping for.

The aftermath of the miniature scuffle was energon—namely Starscream's—splattered around neighboring trees and the appendages of the two mechs there.

The Autobot leader made his way above the still laying Megatron and did the unpredicted. He stuck out a servo as a gesture of help.

Megatron—who was feeling very adventitious himself—took the extended servo and gave his brother a stern nod. It was the only sign of affection between the two, yet it was very significant. That was the only kindness that would ever pass between them in this war, and they both planned on keeping it that way.

They made their way back to the cave, dragging the unconscious mech behind them. Starscream was in for a Pit of a reprimand when they got back to their base. Let Primus have mercy on his soul.

The first sight that was to be seen was an eager Nova, beaming brightly towards the two.

There was something Megatron had to do, something that would set the record straight. He dropped the dead weight in his grasp and walked briskly towards the awaiting femme. Picking her up, he planted two lip plates onto hers.

Optimus caught sight of this inopportune display and bit back the urge to kill his brother now. His fist tightened and there was a distinct sound of an engine roaring.

Megatron tightened his grip and searched for a particular item on Nova's helm. His intentions were not as sporadic as they seemed. He finally found her CPU outlet and plugged it in with a cord in his wrist. It was high-time that she started remembering things again.

Nova suddenly felt overwhelmed as picture after picture flooded into her banks. To be honest, she felt like a child in Christmas. It was only then did she see the somber pattern that was appearing in these memories.

Megatron gave her, first, the good times. Back on Cybertron when they would occasionally sneak out, and most of them being how this love came to be. Then, it was the things that forced them apart, the bad things that happened to them. Next, it was a few snippets of his life, the horrors he committed, the crimes that he'd never pay for, and, of course, the day he killed Prime. He gave her that memory in excruciating detail, even going as far as slowing the memory down and emphasizing his mirth during the entire event. He then concluded with him talking to Starscream about the plan to capture her and use her to reproduce the sparklings for their future in the war.

That's where he drew the line.

They finally let go, and Nova uttered a few horrified comments.

"Y-you, killed him?" she asked, pointing to the blue and red mech who was barely containing his anger beside them. "And then tried… to kill me?"

"Wait, I never tried to… Yes, I did," he lied. He was going to end this feud once and for all, even if it meant Nova had to see him as the most horrible monster in the universe. It ultimately became apparent to him that she would always be in danger, but even more so if she was with him. "It was for the good of our race," he said, cold-heartedly. If they were going to pretend nothing ever happened between them, now was the perfect time to start.

"How-how could you? I trusted you! I looked to you for help! I-I loved you!" she yelled back, not afraid of the simple tears that streaked her face.

"Well, you never should have!" he snapped. "That was the worst mistake you could ever make! Don't you get it? I _used _you. You mean nothing to me," he chuckled egotistically. Under his clever façade, he was burning in agony from the scarring pain he knew he was causing her. _You're doing this for her,_ he reminded himself. _If this is what it takes for her to live her life to the fullest, then slaggit, I'm doing it._

"Fine! Then leave! And take your stale, corn chip away with you!" she screeched as she leaned against the cave wall and began shooting at him.

He staggered away, creeping closer to Prime and picked up his horrible excuse of a second in command.

"Don't tell me I've never done anything for you, brother. Let's just say, I trust her with you more than I trust my followers to keep her safe," he whispered to Optimus before leaving.

It was then that Optimus knew he was lying about never loving Nova. Maybe his brother _did_ have a compassion circuit. He walked over to the weeping Nova, who, to his dismay, flinched from his mere presence.

She felt that dull, yet sharp feeling when he neared her. But for some odd reason, she felt that it would be better than feeling what she felt now. Her processor made another connection at that minute. _Was he the presence in my dream?_ If so, then she knew how this would play out. Carefully, and ever so slowly, she welcomed him to sit closer to her.

He saw her at a moment of need and crawled beside her. Nova visibly tensed when he was just a few feet away, but he kept pushing through.

Nova felt the pain, but eased in closer to him, until she was conclusively weeping in his arms. Her grasp on him tightened with the liquid fire sensation that tore her up on the inside, yet, when she reached for him with her spark, a cool wave of calm washed over the both of them.

"We need to get back," he murmured softly onto her helm. He felt her nod on his chest plate and gently picked her up.

On their journey back to base, she suddenly dropped her sorrow and replaced it with the need to inquire.

"Why did the two of you feel so alike?" she asked randomly.

Optimus, with his patience restored, answered peacefully. He wasn't afraid of what or how much she knew. "He and I were brothers. But we rarely encourage our familial bond, if ever. The war has distorted it out of control so I've learned to live my life with that bond closed off."

"That must be sad. I've always wondered what it would be like to have a sibling bond. I always thought that because Bee and I were second born, part of our glitch was that our bond was never created in the first place," she said innocently. A soft chuckle graced her audios and she looked up to see him smiling. "What?"

"A sibling bond is not as good as you think it to be."

"It _is_ when you love your brother," she said snootily, though it only led to another breathy laugh. "Okay, fine, next question. How'd you know where I was?"

"I use that place to ponder upon things every once in a while. It's not all smooth sailing for a leader, you know." He was having a good time, just talking. It had been a while since he had a proper conversation, and with Nova, too, no less.

"All right, good enough," she said, judging his answers. "Last one, why do I know you? I can remember you, vaguely though. It's deep in my memory banks, but your spark signature, it's sprinkled all over my processor." Nova looked up to watch him think about how to lay down his words.

"If I tell you, will you promise to accept it? No lashing out or denying?" he asked, looking down at her inquisitive face. She gave him a nod and he pressed on. "Well, before your incident with Starscream, we were engaged to bond." He paused slightly to gauge her reaction. She simply starred ahead, bobbing her head up and down the rhythm of his footsteps. "We've also known each other for, well, most of the war."

"That sounds about right," she spoke, laying her head back against his chest armor. "It only makes sense."

"What makes sense?"

"That I love you," she stated simply, not really worrying about any embarrassment one would feel at this time. "I thought it was Megatron, but it was you, Prime. All along, it was you, I just couldn't remember," she stated, as if she were only talking to herself.

If the big man could blush, he would've. So she really did love him, no matter what his Decepticon counterpart said. He looked down at her once more to find that she had fallen asleep. Or so he thought. Optimus gave her a small kiss on the top of her head.

It was feather light and barely noticeable. But Nova felt it, and she leaned in closer to him.

* * *

><p><em>Finally! The plot has moved on! Or at least, the bad part is over... or so it seems *mischievous, shifty eyes*. <strong>3 reviews or 2 alertsfavorites.** Please and thanks! (Pardon my begging but I just need to make sure that I still have people who actually want to read my imaginations :D)_

**_~Replies~_**

**_bee-roxs98: _**_I agree, that description was scary *whispers to Megsy to run away*. I hope this update was quick enough for your sanity! I might have to call Ratchet to check up on you... then again. Thanks for Jolt description, all the little bits help! Btw, I happen to be a review slut. The longer they are the better (pardon my raunchy metaphor ;D)_

**_belle and the beast: _**_You may jig some more for Nova has finally overcome her weird paranoid glitches! I hope you were intrested enough to enjoy finding out what happened to ol' Mega-butt, but now he's a lonely loser again :*(._

**_Dreaming Out Loud since '98: _**_The Bonnie/Bonny thing, I've heard before once upon a lifetime, but for some reason, I couldn't, for the life of me, put the two together. Honestly, it was right after I read your previous review (and then probably a few minutes after that) that it finally clicked in my brain. Putting two and two together is one of my weak spots, right alongside my "perfect" timing and "discreet" subtlety._

**_DarkAngelMel2: _**_Yep, unlike the twins, OP is a thinker. He planned out Nova's very, very... VERY extensive occupations in painful detail. Megsy cares deeply for Nova, whether he shows it or not. Too bad the outcome was also inevitable._

**_~Don't be a stranger ;D _**


	13. Tying Up Loose Ends

_Well, this update was quick! But only because y'alls is some awesome reviewers! Have I ever told you that I love you?_

**_Alter Ego#2: _**_Yes, but we could hear it again!_

**_Alter Ego#3: _**_Please... please don't._

**_Me: _**_Hater._

**_Alter Ego: _**_Um, I'm going to say the announcements before anything gets too far out of hand. **She doesn't own anything and goals are down below!**_

* * *

><p>"You idiot!" Ratchet rumbled, throwing a wrench at the towering Autobot leader.<p>

"With all due respect, Ratchet, be careful of your tone. You _are_ talking to your leader," Optimus rebutted calmly.

"You could be Primus for all I care! But at least Primus would know to have contacted me as soon as you found Nova!" he scolded, gently taking the sleeping femme off his servos. "Just look at this, her leg is distorted and she's energon deprived," he muttered to himself. He saw that she began to stir as he picked at her wound.

"St-stop that… It hurts," she mumbled, half-heartedly slapping what could have been his chest plates, or his face, or the air surrounding him. She was too groggy to tell.

"Wait a minute… Did she just?"

"I got her to talk, too," Optimus boasted, reveling in the fact that his medic was now speechless.

"How did you…?" Ratchet trailed off, gaping at the femme below him. He heard the faint snicker behind him and violently turned around, flinging wrenches left and right. "Out! Out! Out!" he repeated until the mech was finally beyond his field of vision.

* * *

><p>A couple weeks have passed and Nova has finally caught up with her lack or memory. During this recovery, she mostly spent time with her father, knowing that they desperately needed some catching up to do. A few days were spent with the Wreckers and Wheeljack, which all ended in either an explosion or a stern talking to by Prowl. She even continued her training sessions with Sideswipe.<p>

They had gotten to the point where she'd just start the day with an efficient sparring session and that'd be it.

"You're doing better, Nova," Sideswipe commented as he wheeled over next to her.

"Thanks, sensei," she spoke teasingly, using the term he had stressed her to call him by.

"And being your sensei, I must remind you that your classes are not free, young cricket," he spoke in mock-old-timey-kung-fu-movie style.

"Oh yeah, I had almost forgotten about that," Nova muttered dejectedly. She'd been dreading the day that he would ask her for a favor. That was the number one rule that went for all twins, never give favors. "So what do you want, McQueen?"

"McQueen?"

"Yes, he's the red racecar from the Pixar movie, Cars. Bonnie's been watching that cartoon non-stop for the past few days."

"So why McQueen?"

"You remind me of him. Arrogant, vain, self-centered… red…" she listed, ticking off each one with a digit.

"What?" he exclaimed, looking and feeling hurt all over.

"_But_," she interrupted him, "he's got a heart of gold."

Sideswipe's expression quickly melted away and he adopted a cheeky smile.

"Why thank you, milady. But your flattery will not excuse you from your little 'job,'" he uttered in a way that sounded almost evil.

Nova thanked Primus that neither of the twins were Decepticons, because then, the Autobots would truly have a run for their money.

"Okay, fine, what do I have to do?" she almost gagged out. Bracing for the worst, Nova tightened her fists as well as her optics and tried to prepare for whatever might come out of his vocal processors.

"I need a wash," he relayed nonchalantly.

Daring to sneak a peek, Nova spoke.

"What?"

"I need a wash," he repeated.

"That's it?" she asked, releasing the tension in her arms. "You're not going to make me wear a bikini all around the base or take the blame for one of your pranks?"

"Not really, Boss 'Bot would break a gasket if he found out I told you to prance around in a flimsy two piece, as tempting as that would sound, and you already take blames for my pranks anyway." Sideswipe had a lot of time to think about this and decided to play it safe. This may have been the first time he has ever thought anything through. It wouldn't be a lie if he said it felt weird.

"Y-you thought about this?" Nova asked, equally as thrown off as he was. He nodded in response and she backed out of the room warily. "O-okay, I guess. I'll meet you outside then," she muttered, still thinking over the idea that this might be a trap. Nevertheless, she set for her quarters at a leisurely pace.

Once there, Nova grabbed the clothes that she would usually wear when she washed Optimus. Not once did it pass through her mind that her mech was a bit territorial about who exactly she washed in those particular clothes. She grabbed a bucket and a few supplies from the janitor's closet on her way to the tarmac.

True to his word, Sideswipe was there, waiting. His holoform was sitting on his hood as she appeared. One glance to her and he yelped in surprise, easily knocking himself off of his alt. form.

"Sides, are you okay?" she questioned concernedly, running to help his holoform up. He hollered again as his optics came to contact with her. "Dude, what's wrong?" she asked, obviously pissed off now.

"Are you kidding me? Look at what you're wearing!" he exclaimed, gesturing to… well… all of her.

"What do you mean? This is what I always wear when I give Optimus a wash," she informed innocently, double checking her attire.

"That's what you wear when you wash _him_? Primus, he's going to kill me," he breathed to himself. "It's bad enough I have his girlfriend giving me a carwash, she's also wearing _those_ clothes."

"I don't get what's so bad about it. Besides, you asked me to do this," she said, still not getting what it was with him and her outfit.

"You don't get it? Nova! You're wearing a baggy shirt—and it's white, no less—and daisy-freaking-dukes! I'm going to die young."

"Stop worrying about it, nothing bad will happen," she scoffed at him, preparing her cleaning utensils.

"I never thought I'd ever have to ask a femme this, but please tell me you're wearing a bra," he conveyed, voice cracking a little.

"Shut up," she snapped, throwing a dry sponge at his face. "It's just a wash," she enunciated slowly. Nova tied back her shirt so that it hugged her abdomen and put her hair back in a sloppy bun. Her purple and silver streaked hair had grown considerably longer, but she just never bothered to cut it.

"Sure it is. Just a wash, nothing else but a wash," he repeated to himself as if it were inevitable that Optimus were to just appear at the worst possible moment.

"Make yourself useful," Nova told him, chucking a bucket and a hose at the seemingly frozen mech. "Fill 'er up."

After the bucket was topped with sudsy water, she took the hose and gave his alt-mode a good once over, making sure to at least try to power wash the grime around his tire guards. She started lathering the soaked sponge onto the car's hood.

"Someone's a bit quiet. Is it because I'm doing a good job or are you still strung up on me wearing this shirt or whatever?" she joked stealing a glance at him.

"A bit of both. Your sponge is relaxing enough to balance out my fears of the boss-mech slowly ripping my appendages off so, I'm good," he stated in his more neutral voice.

"Good. Then can you hand me the hose?" She turned to retrieve the snaky green item when she was quickly shot in the chest with a forceful blast of chilling water. The look of death invaded her face as she glared upon a wide-eyed mech.

"Oh Primus, Nova I did _not _mean to do that, I swear! I was reaching for the hose but I… accidently… squeezed the… Are you okay?" he faltered as he observed her picking up the hose and steaming out anger towards him.

"I'm fine Sides…" She shot him in the face with the water. "… now." Nova giggled at his appalled expression.

"Femme, you did not," he threatened, holding up a finger that said "Oh, no you didn't." He was answered by another blast to the face. "It is on!" he roared, grabbing the bucket and completely dousing the squealing victim.

"Sides, what the Pit!" she laughed as foamy bubbles slid down her arms. Nova didn't have time to react because she was abruptly picked up and was slid across Sides' low car frame. Nova landed on the other side gracefully but was promptly attacked by less-than-furious jets of water.

"There, now you've lathered all of me," he chuckled, watching her crawl up in a little ball as he drowned her in water.

"Not yet, I still have to get your holoform!" she yelled, pulling out the hidden bottle of soap and covering most of him with a blue-ish looking goop. "I'll take that," she added, swiping the hose from him and aiming for wherever the soap was.

"Hey, you just wasted perfectly good soap!" he reiterated behind his raised arms that were meant to protect his face. Sideswipe made a blind dash towards his attacker, picking her up by the waist and hoisting her up on his shoulder. Quickly, the devious mech pinned her against his alt-mode and grabbed the hose from her grasp.

"What are you…?" she trailed off when she saw him point the hose down into her shirt. "Sides, if you do what I think you're going to do, I will have so many family members on your aft that Ratchet will have to replace it with Sunny's," she threatened. It didn't do much for her sake because he ended up pressing the trigger and she let out a scream of mirth from the cold rushing water.

"What is going on here?" a deep rumble interrupted.

Sideswipe automatically realized who it was and practically jumped off of Nova's slightly quivering body.

"Hey, Optimus!" Nova greeted as she ran up to his foot and did her best to hug it. She was sopping wet and caught glance of her attire. You could see _everything _through her shirt. No wonder Optimus liked that outfit. _Oh, Sideswipe is in deep slag now._ "I was just giving Sides a wash. I owed him one," she delivered casually. Optimus knelt down to take a closer look at the odd scenario.

"It looks like he's been washing you," he muttered thoughtfully. "What are you wearing?"

Sideswipe dreaded that question.

"Boss 'Bot, I swear I didn't tell her to wear that. She just came here like that. I promise you," he begged, stressing every word to a more dramatic tone.

"Well, he said that he had a dirty, dirty body, and that he wanted _me_ to give him a good thorough cleaning," Nova retorted, twisting his words and making them sound sexier than needed.

"You evil, evil femme," Sideswipe gasped. He looked up at his superior and could literally see the pending anger that would erupt.

Nova could hear the whirring and soft rumble of an engine that expressed Optimus' jealousy… and she loved it.

"You gonna take some initiative, Optimus Prime," she whispered, teasing him ever so slightly—and in more ways than one.

The way his entire name rolled softly off her tongue felt good to his audios. It was a name used rarely so whenever it was uttered, Prime felt a certain air of egotism rise around him.

"Sideswipe, how fast can you run?" he asked, straightening up.

"Um, really fast?" Sides answered nervously. "Why?" he dared to ask.

"Because you're going to need a head start."

Let's just say that the rest of at least an hour was filled with a very pissed off Prime chasing a nearly pissing himself mech off into the sunset. Nova never really did get to finish his bath, and doubted that he'd ever ask her of that again.

She decided to head inside because there was one little thing that plagued Nova's processor so dearly. Something that she just couldn't seem to figure out for the past few orns. Which was, why is Sunstreaker ostracizing her to the fullest extent? He had avoided her with ninja skills that would make Mirage cry. The mech couldn't even _stand _to be in the same room with her. So, she was going to find out exactly what was going on.

"Ironhide, where's Sunstreaker? I can't find him," she asked the shining black mech who strode next to her after a few joors of searching.

"How do you not find a neon, yellow mech on wheels?" he teased.

"Well," she scoffed dramatically. "If you haven't noticed, Metal-Wedgie, half the base is in full swing ever since they decided to transport us to a different base. Second, that mech has been trying to dodge me every chance he gets. There's no way I can find him."

Ever since the recent exposure of Megatron on the island they were using as headquarters, Lennox had been trying to get everyone out and into a different location for security purposes. It had just been granted recently and now everyone is working double time to pack all their little doodads up.

"Hey, look, who's that?" Ironhide spoke sarcastically, pointing to the figure who was trailing in front of them.

"I hate you," Nova muttered in mock anger. As quick as she could, she jogged up to Sunstreaker, making sure that if she talked to him, he couldn't run away. "Sunstreaker, may I have a word or two?"

"No," he snapped bitterly, turning to elude her but found that he couldn't.

"Please? It's kind of important," she pleaded again. He managed to poke his way out of the trap and escaped to the outside, but Nova was practically on his feet.

"I have nothing to say to you."

"Yes, you do. You know what I need to talk about and—Slaggit, Sunny, quit trying to run!" she scolded.

"Don't call me that," he replied bitterly.

"Stop running away from me," she snapped, subliminally offering an ultimatum.

"You know what? You can't always get what you want, Princess!" he barked, trying anything to get out of there.

"Princess?" Nova exclaimed, chasing him out towards the valley which stood between them and the forest. "What are you talking about?" She heard him groan loudly before he turned to answer her.

"Every vorn I've known you, all your requests had been handed to your pretty little servos on a silver platter. And all because Prime's got a stupid crush on you," he lied to her. Well, it was a half lie. True, he hated the treatment she usually got from Optimus, but never did he once think that she had _earned _said treatment. He took her stunned silence in advantage of getting away, so he traveled further towards the redwoods with no certain sense of direction.

"That statement could _not_ be more invalid!" Nova proclaimed, dashing to catch up with him.

He paused in his travels to anywhere but here and glared at her with a knowing look.

"Okay, maybe it's a little true, but that's beside the point! I don't know where your processor has been for your past—oh, I don't know—_lifetime_, but I do _not _just sit around letting 'Bots wait on me hand and foot," she rebutted.

"That just proves how blind you are!" he exclaimed, throwing two servos in the air. His feet led him out of the valley and deeper into the forest.

"You know what, Sunny-Bunny?" she started with an icy-cold edge. "How many times have I saved your ungrateful aft from harm's way, huh? How many times have I come to the rescue for you and your brother?"

"Shut up!" he roared, knowing that every one of her points were valid. But he had a few points of his own. "Not everyone knows the real truth about you, in fact, I'm not sure even _you _know anymore, but _we _do. Sides and I know about you and Megatron. And before you get started on that whole 'erased processor' slag, there was a reason you fell in love with him." He couldn't stand faking anymore; Sunstreaker had to tell her exactly what he thought of her. "_That's_ what worries me."

They let a bitter silence pass, each looking at each other with hate. Nova had no clue that he knew about Megatron, nor did she know of his uneasiness around her. Yet it explained so much.

"So, you think I'm a Decepticon?" Nova asked, breaking the fragile silence. Sunstreaker nodded robotically at her, never lifting his hard glare. "Then, treat me like one!" she scolded, grabbing his servo and twisting it so his cannon replaced his arm. With the weapon in hand, she pointed it straight to her spark.

Sunstreaker was speechless and plain unprepared. Her move was too quick for his processor to perceive so his angry façade faded at the slightest. But he knew that Nova had caught it. And there he was, standing with a weapon pointed to kill her. She had even asked him to pull the trigger.

"Do it! No one can blame you, we're secluded here! It'll look like a 'Con attack. But that's what this is, isn't it? If I'm really who you think I am, then pull the fragging trigger. But ask yourself, who was the femme that helped you in your time of need? Who took you and your brother in as if you were her own siblings? Who is Bumblebee going to cry over the loss of? Who's Bonnie going to look up to? Who's going to help Optimus through the tough times in war?" she barraged him with personal questions, each question spat more aggressively than the latter. Her processor had excuses for each and every mech, femme, and human but she stopped herself there.

Sunstreaker thought about her words. She was right. So many 'Bots relied on her and vice versa. It was all very intricate, like a spider web. He had a small epiphany in that forest. _Our species isn't dependant on its own, we rely on everyone we meet. From the first klik of contact, our lives are then intertwined. We are a dying race, and we need support from whoever we can get it from. Frag it all._

"Answer me!" she barked once the silence was too much to handle.

"YOU!" he erupted with, yanking his arm forcefully from hers. This wasn't how he wanted to leave it, but something told him that Nova wouldn't leave it like this either. Sunstreaker put his cannon away as he walked opposite Nova, waiting for her to stop him.

"You know what's funny, Sunny?" she spoke in a soft and completely unrelated tone. "I remembered something a few days ago. Something that happened before my mind was erased all those vorns ago, I remember thinking about a few certain individuals." She glanced upwards quickly to see the golden mech paying close attention. "I thought about you. And Sides. And Bee. You guys were the reason I wanted to start over. My stupid decisions put too much danger where my family matters."

"We're not your family," he muttered to himself.

"Really? I'm sorry, do _you_ remember your creators? Do you remember mine? No, because the slagging war ripped them away from us. You're my family whether you say so or not. And _you_ know that somewhere deep inside your spark, you love us, too." Nova was done arguing. It was all up to Sunstreaker now as to where their relationship laid, and she prayed to Primus that Sunny's thick head wouldn't cloud his judgment.

"Fine," he uttered silently. It was quiet enough for Sunstreaker to believe he was probably just thinking those words. But it was evident that Nova heard him.

"W-what?"

"You're right. I-I was just… I can't." What was he supposed to say? "I'm sorry that I thought you were evil, let's be friends again!" Yeah, like _that_ was going to happen.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. All I wanted was that you knew that I care for you, Sunny. I know, I know, you're all grown up and whatever, but I can't help but see that younger 'Bot who used to look at me with those clear blue optics and let me handle the world with him. And I know you remember those times, too." With that, she left. Turned right on her heel and went back to base.

Sunny stayed there for a bit, reminiscing on the orns that were more laid back than the rest. One particular memory visited him. It was one of when they first met. Nova had shot Sides in the face and Sunstreaker was laughing contentedly at that. That was just one thing they had in common, along with others; both their brothers were idiots.

Nova had a new kick in her step, but sadly, her day was not yet over. There was one more thing she had to take care of.

"What happened to you?" Ironhide asked, meeting up with her again.

"By that you mean?"

"You left screaming and yelling and now you come back looking like you own the world," he snorted.

"I don't know. Hormones?" she lied, shrugging her shoulders as humans usually do.

"We don't have hormones."

"And you don't have a sense of humor," she countered, leaving the mech in a slightly fuming fit,

"I do too have a sense of humor," he harrumphed to himself, crossing his arms like a spoiled sparkling.

The femme walked about in the base, searching for someone in particular. One turn around the corner and into the rec. room revealed said person—or in this case, femme.

"Elita?" Nova asked, walking over towards the seemingly happy figure.

"Oh, hi Nova," she responded in a plastic manner as she wheeled over.

"Can I ask you something?" Nova started innocently, not wanting to make such a big scene.

"Yeah, anything. Mech troubles?" she asked, almost a little too giddy.

"In a sense, yes… Ariel." Nova uttered Elita's old name, one that was used before this war, before Elita ever became the femme commander. She saw her comrade freeze at the name.

"How…? How do you know that name?" she asked incredulously.

"How stupid do you think I am?" Nova asked, sounding just the slightest bit offended. "Optimus and I have no secrets. I told him everything I know and in return he told me everything _he_ knew. Even his old life as Orion… and the kiss." Nova relayed calmly.

"You-you know about that?" Elita-1 gasped.

"Duh, why in the 'verse did you think Optimus was sleeping in the main hangar for a week instead of our shared quarters?" she scoffed.

"I had a few guesses," Elita replied semi-mischievously.

"That's not the point, Elita. Look, I know you still have feelings for him. Granted it's been like, what, 10 million or so years already since the two of you were Orion and Ariel. And I thank Alpha Trion so much for bringing the both of you back—really, I do—but it seems about time to move on, right?" she reasoned.

"You can't force me to move on," Elita growled.

"You're right, absolutely. I can't make you do anything you don't want to, but living like this is going to be Pit considering we're both too stubborn to die." Nova tried keeping things a bit light-hearted, unlike her confrontation with Sunstreaker. Two bickering femmes usually ended up with two months worth of repairs on things that got in the way, and Ratchet being busy, busy, busy.

"It's just not fair," she exhaled. "Nova, put yourself in my position. You're the leader of all femmes, a responsibility placed upon you by a Prime. Now you're trapped in this Primus forsaken war with next to no happiness. The only joy you have is your mech, the same mech who knew the real you." Elita paused a bit for Nova to completely gather the information.

"Now, imagine that one of your subordinates catches your mech's optic. And because of a few stupid choices, your one and only source of pure bliss is gone, chasing some femme that seems ungrateful of his presence. I hope you understand why this is vexatious for me," she sighed, looking more drained than usual.

_Why the Pit didn't she move on? It's not like all this happened yesterday, _Nova thought, deeply worried for Elita's mental sanity.

"I can assure you that I am anything but ungrateful for that mech. Yes, there are a few bumps in the road, but at the end of the day, all is well again. It just… works. Instead of fretting about it all your life, why don't you show some of that commander initiative and go and find someone who won't leave you. Someone who will love you unconditionally.

"Be honest, Elita. If Optimus and you miraculously kissed and made up, what makes you think that those same stupid mistakes wouldn't be made again? What if you had spark bonded with the wrong mech? I know a couple like that. Rarely talked to them, and they rarely talked to each other. But you wouldn't even need to, to tell that they were in pain being in each other's company. They died young from that strain… pity," Nova said, slowly drifting into a dazed state, thinking about that couple and how things could've been better for them.

"Back to reality, Nova. Stay with me," Elita verbalized, snapping her fingers in front of Nova's optics.

"What? Oh yeah, anyway, point is, it was for the best. Your spark is too special to be tied down for a mech like that. What you need is someone who can keep up with you. If you want my honest opinion, Optimus is more of a step-by-step, first-things-first type of guy. Not that I'm complaining," Nova ended with.

"You sure?" she whined.

"Positive," Nova nodded. "Just, please, stop trying to ruin our relationship," she begged.

"Fine. I guess I probably should," Elita admitted, suddenly finding it hard to look her ex-subordinate in the optic.

"Thanks. Now can we go back to being friends? I liked it when things were happy. Happy is good," Nova asked in a much chipper attitude.

"Of course," she breathed, reaching over for a hug. It was one of the human gestures that Elita-1 had come to like very much.

* * *

><p><em>For those of you that I may have confused, Elita-1 and Nova are at the stage of 'friendship' when you're really acquaintances more than anything else. They're not really super best friends right now. <strong>3 reviews or 3 favoritesalerts!**_

_**~Replies~**_

_**bee-roxs98: **I bet you that all the fangirls (and guys?) out there would purposely break themselves for a chance for Ratchet to fix them, no matter how painful his wrenches are. Megsy has got it bad. The one thing that kept him somewhat sane during this war has finally chosen which side she was on. Oh well. I agree with Armada Screamer being smexy, if only the other Screamers looked like him. Alas, Michael Bay has a twisted imagination. Thanks for your long reviews, it _did_ give me happiness, in fact, I have that stupid smile that always appears on my face whenever I read perfect reviews. ;D_

**_Dreaming Out Loud since '98: _**_Your review has made me feel amongst friends. We all have those days when we feel for Megsy, but today is not one of those days :D. P.S. Thanks for the heads up on my typo, but I guess that's what I get for rushing heheh._

**_DarkAngelMel2: _**_You are not in the least bit harsh. Starscream deserves every little piece of bad karma he's earned. But the reason why Megsy still keeps him around is beyond even me... and I'm the author! Profanity is accepted when directed promptly to the Screamer (no wonder his name is Star_scream_). - You like that? It was my bad attempt at a pun -_-._

**_~Don't be a stranger ;D_**


	14. Party? Pranks? Perfect! Pt 1

_Hey-llo my fellow readers! The story has definitely taken a lighter mood for now... but not for long *evil laughter*. I can't tell you guys anymore than that, and with said information, le story may or may not end at somewhere around the 20 chapter. Don't hold me to that but it's most likely going to happen._

**_Alter Ego: _**_Aww, you're planning on ending it already?_

**_Me: _**_Well, yeah. I need to start making my other story which had been postponed for much, much too long. Not to mention that I really should make a story for DotM._

**_Alter Ego: _**_Do you really have to?_

**_Me: _**_Sadly, yes._

**_Alter Ego: _**_Fine, then I'm saying the disclaimer and goals._

**_Me: _**_Actually, I was going to ask you to do it any—_

**_Alter Ego: __She owns nothing and goals are at the bottom! _**_Hah, beat you to it!_

**_Me: _**_Um, okay?_

* * *

><p>Within the large control room, the soft beepings of machines could be heard as well as the silent clunks of army boots on the ground. In the middle of a myriad of large screens stood an attentive Prowl, picking through the reports of the past week and filing them away somewhere safe. It took a few orns, but he now finally felt at place. <em>This<em> is where he belonged. _This _is how his life was meant to be spent. _This_ is how he—

"Pow," a small squeak uttered from his left servo, effortlessly taking his immediate attention. Bonnie was reaching a grabby fist towards the tactician. She had finished with the small picture book and now wanted another one. And yes, she was actually reading it.

"You finished that book already? You are improving youngling," Prowl commented. He had given Bonnie a small program that taught her multiple things a techno-organic should know. It was imperative that she knew things ahead of her age, mostly for security purposes. Prowl handed her a slightly bigger book and she took it eagerly.

By a quick scan, he learned that her Cybertronic counterparts have finally developed completely. She was now an official, 100% techno-organic.

"I should alert Optimus," he stated to himself.

::Prime, I have news. Are you unoccupied?::

::Define unoccupied,:: Optimus replied vaguely.

::Unoccupied as in inactive,:: Prowl sighed. There was a small pause on the other side of the line before Optimus spoke up again.

::I'm unoccupied now,:: he softly grumbled.

::Thanks a lot, Prowl,:: Nova popped in the conversation shortly before leaving.

::What was it you needed?::

::Bonnie has completed all Cybertronian development,:: Prowl relayed. He calculated the seconds it would take for Nova to burst in the room, racing for her child. 3… 2… 1…

"Where is she?" Nova exclaimed, barging into the room and expertly dodging wary humans.

"Mama!" Bonnie squealed, throwing her baby fingers in the air.

"Hey, Sweetie," she cooed. "You gonna be a big 'Bot like Mommy?" Nova was answered by near intelligible babbles.

"I suggest taking her to Ratchet before doing anything to provoke her transformation sequence," Prowl offered, carefully slipping the girl into Nova's palm.

"Thanks, Prowlie."

"Powie!" Bonnie imitated, giggling furiously at the black and white mech's expression.

Optimus met them on his way to the control room. Unlike his femme counterpart, he strolled leisurely to the command room. Optimus barely had a chance to tell Nova about Bonnie before she left him in the dust. But it was okay, because she was there, waiting for him. He reveled in the fact that those two femmes were his life, his very essence. If only he could rightfully call Nova '_My_ femme.' _Patience, I need to have patience._

"Well, I see you've found her," he chuckled. The little girl in Nova's hold had to tip her head all the way back in order to see her father's face. This caused her to fall backwards.

"See, this is one of the downfalls of being shorter than you," Nova snapped in mock anger.

"You complain more than Jazz does," Optimus teased. Before their banter could continue, two short blurs stumbled in front of them, colliding with the nearby wall. One red and one green 'Bot emerged from the ruckus.

"Hey, hey, yo, Boss 'Bot! We heard that the lil' femme is gonna be a 'Bot too!" Mudflap exclaimed, shoving his brother off of him.

Nova and Optimus had instinctively put their hands over Bonnie in a protective manner from the moment their sensors picked up on the incoming projectiles. They still haven't relaxed with the two mechs in front of them.

"How'd you guys find out about that?" Nova asked cautiously.

"Don't worry about that, we's just wanna know what she gon' look like!" Skids chimed in.

"Can we see? Please, please, please?" Mudflap begged, getting on his knees and crawling towards them.

"You think we can trust them?" Nova whispered.

"Do we have a choice?" Optimus retorted.

"As long as you guys stay at least 20 feet away," Nova directed them.

"So that's a yes?" Skids asked, picking up his brother. He was answered by a short nod. "Cool!" he breathed, bumping his brother on the shoulder. "Race you to the med bay," he challenged.

"Oh, it is on bro," Mudflap countered. They both transformed and left skid marks on the floor.

"Primus, help us," Optimus groaned.

"Haha, you're so funny," Nova scoffed, elbowing his chest plates softly. In all honesty, she was as uneasy about the twins as he was. But she'd never admit it.

They entered the wide double doors of the always sparkling clean med bay mere kliks after the others had _oh so gracefully_ did.

"Ratchet!" Nova echoed in a sing-songy voice. "Where are you hiding, you grumpy old mech?" she sang.

Before she took another step closer to the heart of the med bay, a wrench flew past her head. She ducked in time for it to miss her, but the evil little wrench managed to nail Optimus in the throat.

"Ratchet, I am holding a child," she scolded sharply.

"That wasn't meant for you, it was for Idiot One and Two," he grumbled, letting more wrenches fly as the twins appeared into vision.

"Stop, stop! We only wanted to see robot Bonnie!" Mudflap screeched. He shoved his brother in front of him to shield the painful tools of death.

"Robot Bonnie?" Ratchet repeated. He looked towards Nova who was now attending to Optimus bruised throat. "The sparkling has completed her development?"

"Yep," Nova chirped, turning back to the medic. "Wanna document this or something?" she teased.

"As a matter of fact…" he joked back, earning himself an optic-roll. "Berth, now," he commanded, pointing a digit to a nearby examination table.

Nova hopped onto it and coaxed the little girl to stand.

"All right, Bon-Bon, can you transform for Mommy?" The child just gazed at her mother. "Come on, B.B., like this." Nova demonstrated by changing her arm into her plasma cannon. Again, she was met with blank eyes. Sighing, Nova put her down on the berth and transformed into her human form. "Come on, babe, just like Mommy did."

"May I suggest you hold her while shifting back to your bipedal? It might work," Ratchet said.

"And if I crush her?"

"You won't," he said simply.

"Good logic," she muttered sarcastically. Nova picked up her child and shifted again. Her optics were closed tight but she could feel the small mass that rested in her grasp. The room was quickly filled with gasps.

"Nova," Optimus rumbled.

"She's beautiful," Skids awed, finishing the leader's sentence.

Nova dared to take a peek and saw a gorgeous youngling in her arms. She was a pale red with golden stripes lining her armor. A question popped into her mind.

"Ratch, why does she have her armor already?" she asked, snuggling the little glory.

"Beats me, you're the techno-organic here."

"And you're the chief medical officer," she quickly shifted the blame.

"And as CMO, my readings tell me she is no danger. Although, she may need new armor once she's reached a certain age. I don't think her current coverings will suffice," he commented.

"Slow down, Hatchet. She's not going to be fighting battles any time soon," Nova said. She felt Optimus crawl onto the berth beside her and poke around their daughter.

"Can I hold her, Nova?" Mudflap asked, tilting forward.

"Why do you gots to hold her? I wanna hold her first!" Skids argued.

"Well, I _asked _first, so wait your turn, fool!" Mudflap snapped, pushing his brother's face out of the way.

"Hey man, that wasn't cool. What if I did that to you?" Skids questioned, shoving his twin a bit more forcefully.

"Oh, you wanna go? Come on, let's take this outside!" Mudflap threatened.

"Why go outside? I can beat you up in here!" he challenged, tackling his brother out of the way.

"Maybe _we _should go outside," Nova offered, inching closer to the mech behind her.

"That's a good idea," Ratchet said in a very bored manner. He gave up trying to discipline the two bickering mechs. In fact, it was actually starting to get kind of entertaining.

The parents gingerly sidled away from the two who were tousling with each other. Optimus took a good look at his beautiful child, seeing how curious she was with her new look. Bonnie's armor reflected that of her mother's, except, instead of her helm plates curling over her cheeks, it exposed most—if not all—of her facial plating. She also had to little horns, much like Bumblebee's, with the difference of hers drooping to the sides.

Nova was examining Bonnie's armor as well, gently caressing her arms, helping the sparkling to get used to the sensation. This is the moment so many femmes want to live for, not plenty chose to live without a family. Regardless of the fact that her family was—for lack of better words—screwy, she enjoyed every little bit of it. Even the 'Bots who were such great friends that she would instantaneously accept them as family.

Once back in their quarters—their bipedal quarters—Nova set Bonnie down and let the child explore her new body.

"Come here, baby. Can you walk over to Mama?" Nova cooed, gesturing the seven foot femme in her direction.

"She's tall for her age," Optimus divulged, enjoying the sight of his little girl attempting to walk.

"If you haven't noticed, dear, we're tall 'Bots—er, well, we were," she said, referring to her height shortage. From what she could infer, it was probably from lack of being in her bipedal for so and so months. _Mental note: Never do that again._

"As the humans say, size doesn't matter," he said, running a finger down Bonnie's helm as she reached them. He heard Nova snort back a laugh.

"Optimus, that's not what humans mean when they say that," she smirked, stifling back more immature giggles.

"I know," Optimus said in mock seduction.

_So he's learning, _Nova thought to herself, breathing sighing chuckles.

"I have something for you," he said to change the topic.

"Oh really?" Nova inquired, rubbing Bonnie's belly as she fell onto her bottom.

"Yes, I do. But you have to promise me to not lose it. It was hard enough getting it once, and twice was darn near impossible. I have no idea how I got it a third time." He opened her chest plates and gingerly set a bright blue ring around it. "Dearest, if you remember, this ring is a part of my spark. My _spark_. I would hope you take could care of this," he warned.

"Dearest," she said in the tone he used with her, "if _you_ remember, I protected those rings with my life. My _life_. I think I can take care of this one." She giggled as he shook his head and gave him a kiss on his cheek.

"I've missed that," he sighed contentedly, grabbing her again so he could plant one on her forehead.

"It's been a little over half a month, have I not kissed you since then?" she inquired, leaning into him.

"We haven't really been kissing as more than other things," he implied mischievously.

"Shh, not in front of my little Bon-Bon." She paused in helping her daughter walk and turned to her mech. "How about I just owe you 21 kisses?" she giggled, planting one on his lip plates.

"20," Optimus teased.

* * *

><p>About a month later, the entire N.E.S.T. operation—at least the Autobots anyway—had moved to the N.E.S.T. base stationed in D.C. until the headquarters were prepared in a semi-secluded island. The same secluded island that was used as a rest area a few years ago by the Autobots themselves. Unfortunately, it had to be repossessed due to the idiocy of a certain ex-liaison named Galloway.<p>

A small group of Autobots had the idea of a welcoming party. Mostly the younger 'Bots were really involved with the idea. With the tediousness of war, they really need to have some fun. The older mechs thought it would compromise their position. But since Lennox had a huge inner child, party it was.

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker had organized the entire thing, assigning others on what to do. The actual party date was set to be on Halloween just for an extra kick of fun. Also, because Sideswipe had learned from the internet that it was usually Earth custom for the ladies to wear suggestive clothing.

Yep, this was going to be _so_ much fun.

"Yo, Miz!" Sideswipe called from the opposite side of the hangar they were going to use.

"What's up?" she answered, placing a heavy punch bowl down onto a nearby table.

"You call all the soldiers' families?" he questioned a bit too harshly, feeling a little stressed of all the preperations. Why couldn't anyone do what he said, when he said it, and do it correctly? _I'm turning into Hatchet!_

"Yep! Finished up this morning. You got the music handled?" she asked him, trying to be the light in this obviously tense conversation.

Well, he was feeling slightly hypocritical.

"Primus' panties!" he exclaimed, clutching his helm.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I forgot the music! I_ knew_ something was missing!" he panicked, completely ignoring Mizuki's comment. He reached over his bond towards Sunstreaker, metaphorically poking him like crazy.

_What? What do you want?_ Sunstreaker snapped. He felt his brother's antsy-ness overflow into him.

_Sunny, please tell me you got the music arrangement! _Sides practically screamed at him.

_I thought you were in charge of that! _It was his turn to yell over the bond. _What the frag Sides? The party is two days away and the humans are expecting live music! You gonna pull some out of your aft?_

_I would if I could Sunnykins, _Sideswipe replied, closing the bond ever the slightest. His couldn't handle both his _and_ his brother's grief.

"What am I going to do? What am I going to do? I'm going to have a meltdown, that's what I'm going to do," Sideswipe whimpered effeminately.

"Calm down, Sides. Let me handle it. I know a few people who can help us," Mizuki reassured.

"Really? You're not kidding me? Because if you're kidding me, I'm gonna-I'm gonna… cry," he joked, pretending to fan the tears away from his optics.

"Yeah, yeah, you big priss. I got this, Big Guy," she chuckled, running off to who knows where.

It was a big heap of luck that she managed to find just the mech she was looking for.

"Hey, Jazz!" Mizuki exclaimed, waving him over.

"What's crackin', baby?" he said, kneeling down to be more eye level to her.

"I need a favor."

* * *

><p>"Hi Leo, Mikaela," Nova greeted them as they walked by in the cafeteria.<p>

"Hey, you got your voice back! Congrats," Mikaela chirped, hugging her friend. She had decided, after all, to join the military. As of late, she was interning to become the new Autobot/human liaison.

"Yup, feels good. How's it going, Curly-top?" she asked, bumping him on the shoulder.

"Ay, Dios mío, again with the Curly-top," he muttered to himself before shaking it off. "Whatever, not even your smart little jokes can get me down. I'm too hyped for the party a few days from now. First time I get to see my parents again, and my little sister, too," he relayed, beaming at the thought.

"Aw, how sweet. There _is _a heart in there," Nova teased lightly, poking at his chest.

"That's basically why everyone else is going. We're in the military, and in a secret division, no less," he informed her.

"No dip, Sherlock. Why do you think we're doing this?" she giggled.

"Well, it _was_ Sideswipe's idea so… Yeah, you know," he offered vaguely.

"Yeah, I do know. But at least half of his intentions were to reunite families… I think. I mean, it's a war so that _is_ what he thought about, right?" she asked, unsure of her logic.

"Like it matters," he scoffed, shooing the idea of it away with a flick of the wrist. "So what are you going to dress up as?" Leo adopted a bit of a stunned look as the two girls in front of him started giggling.

"It's kind of a surprise," Mikaela chimed.

"Aw, but _I_ wanna know," he whined light-heartedly. He saw Nova zip her lips up and lock it; a sure sign that he was getting no other information from them. "Fine, then I won't tell you what I'm going to be," Leo huffed, folding his arms.

"A vampire," the two girls drawled at the same time.

"What? Who told you?"

"You did, multiple times... on Facebook," Nova said, rolling her optics and hitting his arm lightly. "You know, speaking of costumes, Mizuki and I still need a few extra touches on ours. We need your help, Miki," Nova directed to Mikaela.

"Mickey?" Leo asked.

"No, Miki," Nova corrected.

"Yeah, that's what I said, Mickey."

"No, you said Mickey, I said Miki."

"What's the difference?"

"You spelled it wrong," Nova stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"What?" Leo was now convinced that this chick is nuts.

"We gotta get going, Leo. Our custom costumes are waiting," Nova recited as she dragged the chuckling Mikaela with her.

* * *

><p>Optimus was working diligently on the reports he had to check over. He needed to make sure that there were no major threats following the families or hovering around the D.C. base. The leader didn't really agree with the idea of a welcoming party, but since it was a nice little break for the soldiers, he hesitantly accepted. Optimus knew the stresses of not seeing loved ones all too well.<p>

::Prime, I need to see you in the med bay,:: Ratchet com-linked spontaneously.

::Is there an emergency?:: he replied, pushing his previous thoughts to the back of his mind.

::More like the prevention of one. Meet me A.S.A.P.:: Ratchet said stiffly, closing the line.

Optimus did as he was told and stood from his massive desk. His stroll to the med bay was filled with wondering about what the CMO wanted and why it was so important.

"Ratchet? You needed a word?" he echoed amongst the white walls of the bay.

"Have you bonded with Nova, yet?" Ratchet asked bluntly. A little too bluntly for the Prime's taste, as he could see.

Optimus had to stop himself from outwardly reeling back from the question. True, Ratchet was his closest friend and medic, but the abruptness was just plain unsettling. _How long has he been planning this conversation?_

"Um, no?" he answered carefully.

"Really? It's been about a month, I'd expect you to have done it already," he muttered as if this was a completely normal topic. At least, to him it was.

"Well, um, I wanted to take it slow, for her sake. Also, I didn't want to bring a potential sparkling into this world unless I was sure that it was safe," he responded, relaxing the slightest bit.

"So, _now_ you listen to me," Ratchet grumbled, shaking his helm disapprovingly. He didn't believe for one klik that Optimus believed in taking it slow with her. Granted, Ratchet did ask if he had _bonded._ Interfacing was still appropriate for the couple.

"Yes, yes I am," Optimus returned with a cheeky smile.

"Fine, then you'll heed my warning. When you do happen to bond with her, keep the matrix in your spark. My data shows that her internal systems have taken a permanent damage. The matrix should stabilize her spark and balance it out for the sparklings that may reside there."

Now, Optimus was worried.

"Permanent damage? Is she in pain? Nova hasn't told me any of this. Does she even know?" he asked, mentally reprimanding himself for not taking more precaution.

"Yes, she does know. She's known for a while. I'm surprised she hasn't told you. Nova's been coming in a few times a month for a regular checkup on that." Ratchet saw the trouble brewing in his comrade's processor and internally rolled his optics. "Don't worry yourself, Prime. She's not in any pain. Nova's asked me to keep this fact to myself. Something about not wanting the others to treat her like a porcelain doll."

"I should talk to her about this," Optimus mulled over.

"What? No, no, no. You're not telling her that I told you this. I've experienced the wrath that is a scorned femme; I'm not going to face that again. She's fragging scary," Ratchet explained with a hitched spark pulse.

"Scared of my femme, medic?" Optimus joked.

"Scared of your medic, mech?" Ratchet threatened, shifting his hand into the myriad of tools it turned into.

"Point taken. I will not use your name. Her medical condition is in the database, is it not? I'll tell her I found it. Thank you for your warning," he ended as he bid his goodbyes. Optimus new direction was clear as he turned the appropriate corners. Someone had a lot of explaining to do.

He traced her spark signature to find that she was in their human quarters. A quick thermal scan told him that two other people were with her. Namely Mizuki and Mikaela. Shifting down and popping out his holoform, Optimus walked up to the door and knocked—as if he really had to. It was _his_ room after all.

There was a distinct sound of scuffling around and shushing before the door was opened to a _way_ too innocent looking Nova.

"Hey, baby," she drawled out with a giddy tone.

Yup, she was hiding something.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, sobering up from the laughing fit and racing around the room that had happened prior.

"It's our room," Optimus stated vaguely, craning his neck to see two other girls sitting like perfect angels on the edge of their bed.

"Hi, Optimus," Mizuki waved.

"What were you three doing?" he asked, trying to step in the room but was expertly blocked by his femme.

"Nothing, nothing at all," she answered a tad too fast for her liking.

"Really?" He gave her a knowing look.

"Yes, really. We're a bit busy so if you coul—"

"Busy doing nothing?" he interrupted.

"Oh great, you caught us. Yeah, sweetie we're busy doing absolutely nothing. Darn, the secret's out. Now leave. Shoo, shoo. Go on, do whatever it is Prime's do," she spoke quickly, waving him away and closing the door as rapidly as she could without harming him.

"He gone?" Mikaela asked, getting up from the bed.

"Yep. Well, that was a close one. Let's finish the costumes already, he might come back." Nova pushed them to hurry and finish up said clothing articles.

"Mikaela, you sure you don't want us to make you something?" Mizuki asked as she pulled the clothes out from under the blanket.

"No, I'm fine. I'm not really sure what to go as so I figured I'll probably just wear a cape," she shrugged.

"What? Are you serious?" Nova gasped. "Miki, darling, this is Halloween. It is the most opportune time to wear something that will screw with guys' heads. And you're going to the party with a cape?" she uttered in mock disgust.

"Well, what do _you_ think I should do, huh?" she replied, crossing her arms over her chest.

Nova pondered on this question for a while. Her mind raced across all possible outcomes that would humiliate the male species.

"Mikaela?" she asked with a devilish grin, "Pick a victim."

* * *

><p><em>And that's it for this week! Have a happy Columbus day to those who have school off because of it. To the others... tell you're teacher that you need to try different cultures by celebrating their holiday. Yup, that will work. <strong>4 reviews or 2 favoritesalerts for next chapter next week!**_

**_~Replies~_**

**_bee-roxs98: _**_You needn't worry. Apparently, a lot of people have developed (or resurfaced) their pity for good ol' Mega-butt whilst reading my story. I apologize for that awkward feeling you may or may not be experiencing with said conflicted emotion. I too feel that Sunny-Bunny is the greatest 'Bot ever *cough* with an exception of a couple 'Bots—namely OP and BB—*cough*. And yes, I feel like a fragging princess with your long reviews (no sarcasm). Your reviews put mine to shame and that's a fact._

**_Dreaming Out Loud since '98: _**_I honestly would like to both read your essay and admire your elephant. Your teacher better have given you a fragging A++ (P.S. It stands for Above Average Autobots). When I was writing the OP and Sides bit, I was thinking about that exact scene you have described, which is why I put it in... I could not resist. Oh, also, Nova would like to apologize for Elita-1's very, very rude action of chasing you. Elita-1 is now currently listening to a very boring lecture from Prowl about how we don't harm humans._

**_DarkAngelMel2: _**_I would love to join you in wrench throwing lessons, heheh. Sides and Nova really should have a sit-com. The antics just never stop. Sides asked her for a wash purely because he was not in the mood for trouble with the big 'Bot. It's pretty obvious that the trouble was inevitable. If only Autobot twins would think things through. No wonder Ratchet hates them. And, on OP's behalf, he has the right to be possessive, mostly because I'm the author and a jealous Prime is a smexy Prime *giggles like a crazy fangirl*. Once upon a chapter, I remember telling you that justice is always served in my stories, well, the talk with Sunny and Elita was the justice. Or was it?_

**_belle and the beast: _**_I must admit, Ratchet does have his moments of hilarity, other times, he scares the frag out of me._

**_~Don't be a stranger ;D_**


	15. Party? Pranks? Perfect! Pt 2

_Here's the installment of part two of the party. Originally, the party was only going to be two chapters long, but with the help of my lovely little berries (that's you guys) it will be extended (not in a bad way though). Sorry for posting the chappie a bit late (well, it's late if you're in the U.S. and usually sleep before 10 so you don't wake up at 3 in the afternoon. If you're not in the U.S., well... this is awkward) but I've been working on a costume for le Halloween. It is Bumblebee and yes, it does transform. It's for my kid brother and he's so fragging hyped about it. Speaking of costumes, the ones that I have described Nova and Mizuki wearing are actually real costumes which, if you wanna see, is right here. **(I highly suggest you look at these after you read the chapter, so nothing gets spoiled).**_

**_Nova: http:/ / www. spirithalloween. com/ images/ spirit/ products/ processed/ 07050412. detail. a. jpg _**

_**Mizuki: http:/ / images. spirithalloween. com/ images/ spirit/ products/ processed/ 07050495. zoom. a. jpg**_

_Since this is a world were there is no TF merch, I thought, might as well, you know? Mikaela's costume is actually an idea given to me by my best friend who is dressing up like Ke$ha this year (no we are not too old for dressing up! As long as there is candy that is free, you are never too old). The Ke$ha songs were Dreaming Out Loud since '98's idea, as well as the more Bee in the story (and more of her ideas to come, too). The song in the story is Aliens Invading, which by the way, I don't own._

**_Alter Ego: _**_Awesome, I love parties!_

**_Me: _**_Who doesn't? It was only a matter of time before I made a party bit._

**_Alter Ego: _**_If you guys want to read more of the party, **Look for the goals down below and she owns close to nothing regarding Transformers.**_

* * *

><p>Through the empty halls of the N.E.S.T. base, in the still of night, a soft sound could be detected as it pounded through the echoing walls. The closer one would walk to the hangar on the outskirts of the base, the louder the noise would be heard. Rows of lifeless cars were soon to invaded the civilian parking lots.<p>

"Mizuki!" a yell called, barely audible from the beating bass that rocked both eardrums and concrete walls.

"What, Sides?" a very ticked off woman grumbled.

"You said that you'd take care of the live band. Jazz playing a few things from the radio is _not_ live!" he hollered, throwing his arms in the air.

"Well, he's _alive_ isn't he?" she joked, enjoying the fact that his face got 50% more scrunched up. "Cool your jets, you old fart. I have it covered. Trust me," she chuckled, ditching the holoform to his high-strung antics.

"Who are you calling an old fart? I am at the prime of my youth!" he yelled after her.

"You make Earth look like an infant!" she retorted, speeding away before he had time to apply a snappy comeback. Mizuki traveled down the halls and was about to get her promised music arrangements when she felt something following her.

Something big.

Her pace slowed to a stop as she saw a shadow swallow hers up. Carefully, she reached up a hand to feel what was behind her. Mizuki instantly made contact with something wet and very sticky.

"Aw, gross, Steeljaw," she whined, turning around to see the huge robot dog slobbering above her. "Ew," she chortled. As the dog was panting, a small glint of white caught her eye. "Hold on big boy, what is this?" Upon closer inspection, it was a piece of paper. More specifically, a piece of paper that had words on it.

Miz, hurry up and meet me in my room  
>Party's starting in a few minutes.<br>Costume time!  
>Love, Nova (AND MIKAELA!)<br>Yes, and Mikaela.  
>P.S. Don't forget the paint buckets.<p>

"Ah, a calling card. And I presume you are my escort?" she asked the beast that was waiting patiently for her. He whined in agreement and kneeled down so she could climb on his back. "All right-y, do you know where they keep the paint, my good mech—er dog?" she asked, unsure of what to refer to him as. Steeljaw answered with a loud bark and he darted away the second she was sitting comfortably on his back.

She was wary of riding such an unstable mode of transportation but easily let up when his speed began increasing. Mizuki offered just the slightest of giggles as the wind barely picked up her hair. _It's not that bad. I should do this more often._

Steeljaw trotted to a halt, dropping her off at a storage closet. He began sniffing the contents of the miniature room before letting her in, curious to its contents.

"Don't worry, boy, I don't think there's any threat in there," she told him, patting his paw. The petite lady went inside and quickly grabbed a few buckets of a blinding white and bronze orange paint. Climbing back onto her noble steed, she pointed onward. "To Nova's room!" Mizuki commanded dramatically.

Steeljaw loved the enthusiasm this little human had, which in turn gave _him_ more enthusiasm, thus causing the mini transformer to run even faster. And since the speed was giving Mizuki more glee, it amped Steeljaw's aggressiveness. It was a vicious, never ending cycle of energy. He used all the will power he had just to be able to stop before smacking into the wall of the soldiers barracks.

"Nova, Nova, open up!" Mizuki panted, slowing her heart rate as she practically fell off her escort. Her hand was subconsciously pounding irritably on the door. The joyride was exhilarating to say the least, but now Mizuki had a burning curiosity of just how fast _Sideswipe_ could drive her around town. Maybe even Sunstreaker, if he ever let her near him.

"Mizuki, wha—? Ow!" the femme exclaimed as Miz's fist accidently collided with Nova's chest. "Eager much? Steel, what did you do to her?" she asked, rubbing the area of impact.

The mech in question whimpered before bowing his head.

"Aw, don't blame poor Steely. He didn't do anything wrong, did you boy?" Mizuki cooed with an extreme pouty face. "This mech knows how to show a girl a good time."

"Ooh, looks like Bee's got some competition," Nova poked fun with. "Come on and get in already."

Mizuki followed her directions and heaved the buckets inside the room. Mikaela was there waiting for them.

"Okay, so we all know the plan?" Mikaela asked, taking a few bucket's off her hands.

"Yes, but I do have one question. Is it really necessary to distract Prowl? I mean, he's going to be patrolling the party anyway," Mizuki asked as she went to grab her costume.

"Yes, it is absolutely necessary. You don't know Prowler like I do. That mech is like a ninja. He needs to be completely stalled for this 'job' to be a success," Nova answered, grabbing Mikaela's costume, along with hers.

"Gee, Novs, you make us sound like hit-women," Mikaela kidded.

"You should see when the twins want to wreak some revenge. It's like mission-freaking-impossible," she said as all three of them started changing.

"Exaggerate much?"

Nova paused momentarily to stare Mikaela straight in the eye.

"One of their pranks involved a soldier crying and a punishment of forced stasis until the 'mess' was 'cleaned up,'" she said, putting air quotes around her words. That day was a day that should never be relived.

"I was wondering why Mariah was crying," Mizuki said thoughtfully. She suddenly snapped her head up. "Hey guys, what's the schedule on the singing thing?"

"I'm going first to sing for maybe five or eight songs, take a break, then I think Jazz will cover for me and that's when our plan will take effect. After we scar a few people, and or mechs, mentally, Elita and I will go back up. For the special presentation, Nova will sing her song and Jazz will take the rest," Mikaela stated, not missing a beat.

"Oh, hey, speaking of that, I got a band to play for a while. Apparently, a few of the soldiers and their family are musicians. Hope it's not bad that I snuck 'em in at the last minute," Nova added.

"Nope, not at all. We have a lot of space to fill so it's all good. The time between the changes of performers will be filled with stuff from the radio anyway, so…" Mizuki affirmed with a shrug.

"Good." The three of them had finished dressing up and started on their makeup. After ending with a long hair fixing session, the girls were finally ready.

"All right, ladies. Let's get this show on the road," Mikaela sighed, leading the pack towards the hangar where the party was being held in. She sported a Ke$ha costume, mostly because her song line-up was all Ke$ha songs. But, later on, she'd have to change into a different costume when they put their prank into affect. "Got Bonnie's costume?" she asked Nova.

"Yup, it's in the bag," she answered, rustling the white plastic bag in her hand. Nova suddenly went silent as she received an incoming conversation.

::Nova, Mizuki with you?:: Sideswipe sent to her on the com-links.

::Yep, what you need her for?:: she asked, following the others in her candy red stilettos. Oh, how good it felt to be back in those.

::Tell her that people are here already and we desperately need her so called entertainment,:: he huffed.

::Calm down, we're on our way. And don't you dare doubt the powers that woman can do with split second timing,:: she scolded playfully.

::Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just don't be late.:: And with that, he closed the line.

"Sides says to hurry it up," Nova relayed.

"Oh please, how fast does he think three girls in heels can travel?" Mizuki retorted.

"Wanna screw around with him?" Mikaela asked, chuckling evilly. Her thoughts were starting to fill with a million and one ways to make him suffer for rushing them.

"As tempting as that sounds, this is important to him. We'll key his paint later," Nova answered.

"Killjoy," Mikaela said with a "Hmph."

"Puh-lease! Do you know who you're talking to?" she retaliated.

They reached the hangar which was slowly filling with civilians and bid Mikaela a short goodbye as she went to prepare for her performances.

"Okay, music, check. What's next?" Miz asked.

"Now, my young child, we find Bonnie, put on her costume, track down our mechs, and then watch their reactions," Nova answered, walking over to the rec. room.

"Sometimes I wish I could record moments like that in my brain," Mizuki sighed.

"Sweetie, I can plug into any computer in the world. Youtube, duh," she smirked. The girls laughed as they entered the hangar a few hallways down and found the little girl they were searching for.

"Whoa, nice costumes," Jolt's holoform said as they neared him. He was currently watching over the wiggly little sparkling. "I sense an evil plot amongst you two," he smiled, handing the child to them.

"And it can only work if you not mention it to Bee or Optimus until we find them," Nova said, pointing a finger at him.

Jolt held up his hands in defense.

"Not a single word," he swore solemnly.

"And that, my dear friend, is why you are my favorite medic," Nova stated with a breathy laugh.

"_That_, although, I _can _share with the others. Ratchet may or may not hold a grudge with you for a couple of orns."

"Oh please, that old gasket loves me and he knows it," she joked as she slipped Bonnie into her customized suit. "Aw, well aren't you adorable?"

"Yes, I am," Jolt answered, earning himself a soft slap on the shin. "I'll see you guys later," he bid as his holoform phased out.

"Come on Bon-Bon, let's go find Daddy," Nova baby-talked, tickling her baby with the end of her nose.

Bonnie was flat out confused on why her mommy and auntie were dressed like they were. She was also puzzled on why they made her put on such a fuzzy outfit. Then again, the outfit felt funny on her skin, so she didn't mind.

By the time they reentered the party, it was packed full with families hugging and reuniting. The general aura of the party was still a little slow, considering it just started. Mikaela was on the stage running through a few sound checks and whatnot. She started to sing one of her songs to test the equipment, and to get the crowd pumped.

Don't be afraid!  
>Robots found water<br>La la la la  
>Come take me higher<br>Take all the things  
>That I know for sure<br>Come take them to slaughter

Nova laughed when Mikaela winked towards them. _Of course she'd start with that song._

"Wow, we're going to have fun trying to find them," Mizuki dripped with sarcasm, scanning around the prodigious room.

"Honey, we're their girls. _They'll_ find _us_," Nova reasoned. As if on cue, a certain little brother ran up from behind.

"Miz, Nova, hey what's—?" Bumblebee dropped his sentence once he got a good look at what his girlfriend was wearing. Optics wider than physically possible and a thick swallow, Bee looked at her outfit.

And he liked what he saw.

_Holy Primus._

Let's take a trip to outer space  
>I'm so sick of L.A.<br>Everybody's got another face  
>Somebody come show me the way<p>

"Honeybee?" Nova called, snapping her fingers in front of his face while Mizuki blushed furiously. Nova stopped when she spotted her mech walking up towards them.

"What happened to Bumblebee?" Optimus asked as the young 'Bot finally seemed to wake up. Although, all he could do was stutter. The leader turned his focus to his family and saw that his darling little girl was dressed up as a pink fuzzy die. "Well, that's just precious," he rumbled, taking Bonnie from her mother's hands.

"Aw, Optimus, you didn't dress up? Even Bee dressed up tonight. Granted it's just a black and yellow striped shirt, but hey, at least he's got wings on his back," Nova whined.

"I wasn't going to stay long. As a Prime, I have du—," he broke off his sentence as well the second he finally registered what his fiancé was wearing. Actually, what the both of them were wearing.

_Holy fragging Primus._

He had to bite the inside of his bottom lip in order to not react sporadically.

Let the skies open up  
>Take my eyes open 'em up<br>Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, don't be afraid  
>Don't be afraid!<p>

Nova had on a corset that was colored in such a way that it mirrored his bipedal mode to a tee. It was paired with a shimmery, silver skirt and coverings on her forearm and shin that reflected his armor.

Mizuki had worn a shorter corset that resembled Bumblebee's chassis and a longer, metallic yellow skirt. She had coverings on her arms and legs as well and sported neon yellow stilettos.

The mechs' engines, which were located somewhere in the heart of the base, roared aggressively, though no one was near enough to hear it.

"What are you… where on Earth… how…?" Optimus stuttered. He hadn't noticed his jaw was open in shock until Bonnie decided it should've been closed.

"No," the child reasoned to herself, pushing the bottom half of his face up.

"We made them. You like?" Nova asked, tracing a feather-light finger around his chest.

Optimus had to restrain himself painfully from showing any unprofessionalism, especially with so many witnesses—though he probably has already. Instead, he changed the matter of the subject. _Primus, give me patience._

"What if people ask you what you are?" he inquired, not really caring for the answer, but he needed a distraction.

Aliens invading  
>Run for your life!<br>Grab your wife and babies  
>It's going down tonight!<p>

"Easy, we tell them we're robots. It's vague enough to pass," Mizuki added, hugging Bee as he regained some sort of sense. She started tracing ghostly fingers on his fast-beating chest.

::How the Pit did they—?:: Bumblebee started on a private link with Optimus.

::I have no clue,:: he answered, draping an arm around Nova's shoulders.

::We should have Halloween parties more often.::

_It doesn't need to be Halloween in order for my femme to wear this outfit, _Prime thought saucily to himself. He was awakening from his thoughts when he felt the lack of mass in his arms. Nova had taken Bonnie and was apparently speaking words of some kind.

"W-what?" he asked in his dazed stupor.

"I said, 'I'm going to say hi to a few people,'" she repeated, enjoying the sluggishness from him. It only meant that her costume was a success.

"Oh, o-of course," he stammered, not wanting her to go away just yet. Curse his spontaneous inability to focus. "Just make sure you save some time for a dance," he added before she was able to escape.

"Mmm, maybe," she answered, pretending to think about it for a while. Nova waved them goodbye as she walked over to a group of faces that she hasn't seen in a while.

Standing on the strip malls  
>Since dark night<br>We're aliens invading (aliens invading)  
>We're aliens invading<br>Run for your life!

"So, Bee. What do you think?" Mizuki asked him, walking over to a place where they could talk without yelling over the music.

"W-what _I_ think?" he repeated, still in somewhat of a trance. "I'm thinking how did you know where ever single piece was?" he said, referring to the amazing detail of it all.

Signs have been written (all along us)  
>Rocks where we're sitting (alalala)<br>So much we can't see  
>Heavenly bodies<br>Come down and touch me

"Do you really think I haven't noticed your body before?" she chuckled, immediately blushing after the words escaped.

"Well, in that case, I'm a sexy mech," he joked, placing two gentle hands on the dip of her curves.

"You're a cutie, that's what you are," she babied him, hugging around his neck.

"Just a cutie?"

Let's take a trip to outer space  
>Get me hot on the milky way<br>I'll give you a taste  
>Just a little taste of the human race<p>

"You're _my_ cutie. Doesn't that count for anything?" Mizuki asked, pulling away a bit so she could face him. Seeing the "Really?" look on his face, she shook it off and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Oh, all right, all is forgiven," Bee said, gazing into her bright brown eyes. As her smile widen, his did as well. He knew what they were both thinking. So he inched to close the gap between them.

Let the skies open up  
>Take my eyes open 'em up<br>Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, don't be afraid  
>Don't be afraid!<p>

"Mizuki!" a sharp holler called, making the two stop before they had even begun.

Aliens invading  
>Run for your life!<p>

"Ugh, what?" she groaned, turning towards a recently irritating pest. "Sideswipe, if you haven't noticed, I was kind of busy!"

"Aw, Baby 'Bot's making out with his girlfriend?" he teased, snickering when he caught the blush from Bumblebee's holoform.

"Stop that," Mizuki scolded, slapping his shoulder. "What do you want, Sides?"

"You need to take the checklist. I can't do all this by myself," he stated, handing her a clipboard, which she refused greatly.

"Whoa-ho-ho, no. Uh-uh, Sides, this is _your_ party, not mine. This checklist is _your_ problem," she reasoned, shoving the horrible thing away from her.

"Um, no," he started bluntly. "_You_ are my assistant, _you_ do the boring checklist." With that, he shoved the clipboard back to her.

Bumblebee could see her fists tightening and the anger creeping onto her face. Standing behind her, he whispered some words of encouragement.

Grab your wife and babies  
>It's going down tonight!<p>

"If we run, we can ditch him easily. He won't pursue," he breathed with an obvious smile in his tone. Bee felt her take his hand and squeeze it gently as a sign of agreement.

"I don't want to do more stupid chores, Sides," she started with defiance.

_3_…

"Hey, that's no way to talk to the host. Come on, do your part, Mizuki. I mean, you got me Mikaela as our music. _Mikaela_," he reasoned with a heavy sigh.

_2_…

"I've done my part. If you haven't remembered, I was the one doing all the grunt work while you kept worrying about everything. Besides, there are better places to be," she snapped smoothly.

_1!_

Standing on the strip malls  
>Since dark night<br>We're aliens invading (aliens invading)  
>Are aliens invading?<br>Run for your life!

With a swift motion, Bumblebee picked her up bridal style and dashed in the opposite direction.

"Hey! Come back here you pipe-suckers!" Sideswipe yelled, running to try and keep up.

"Never, you slave driver!" Mizuki laughed from over Bee's shoulder. "I thought you said he wouldn't pursue."

"He'll give up, don't worry," he huffed, spark beat racing with every step. Bumblebee was leaping around people who were in front of him in an attempt to get to the opposite side of the hangar.

"Gah, Bee! He's catching up!" she squealed when she caught sight of the mech flying over a chair that was in the way. Sides quickly rolled on his shoulder to keep his momentum as he shot up and continued running. A few gasps came from those who were lucky enough to witness the pursuit.

Mizuki had then gotten a brilliant idea. Looking ahead at those who were in a close enough range, she made a grab for someone's cup. Luckily, it was filled to the brim with juice.

"What are you doing?" Bumblebee asked, sparing a glance at the cargo in her hands.

"Giving you a lead." The hitchhiking woman looked back at Sideswipe and took aim. The plastic cup automatically flew from her grasp to their pursuer's feet, causing him to trip and land on his face.

"I'll make you two pay!" Sides promised, shaking a fist in the air as best he could.

The couple kept running until they made it outside the party, just to be safe.

"I think you can stop now," Mizuki giggled, wiggling her way down. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked light-heartedly, seeing that he was now hunched over and panting heavily.

"I… wasn't ready… to run that… far," he breathed, smiling up at her as she rubbed his back.

"My hero," she muttered sarcastically.

"Hey… this hero just saved you from… having to work all night," he reminded, standing up straight.

"And for that, I thank you," she sighed, wrapping her hands around his waist. He mirrored her actions and rested his head onto the crook of her neck.

I am in love with an alien  
>You are in love with an alien<p>

She felt something tickling her neck and instantly realized that he was applying butterfly kisses on her. Mizuki stretched out her neck and let him trail his lips across her jaw line, ending up on her chin. They looked at each other for a brief moment before Mizuki pushed her lips onto his.

I am an alien  
>You are an alien<br>We all are aliens  
>Standing on the strip malls (strip malls)<br>Since dark night  
>I am an alien<p>

Bumblebee began thinking as the moment lingered. This is what he fought for; life. And he wanted to spend every moment of his life with this human. But, he couldn't. The truth bit at him every day, but he pushed it to the back of his mind. The matter of the fact was… he's an alien. Bumblebee was going to live longer whether he liked it or not. Pit, he was only a youngling by Cybertronian standards! He wouldn't be within the same age range as the others for at least another vorn. By then, Mizuki would most likely have passed away.

Aliens invading  
>Run for your life!<br>Grab your wife and babies  
>It's going down tonight!<p>

_No, stop. I shouldn't be thinking like this._ He was going to live in the moment. This was his life _now_ and he wasn't about to waste it worrying. Unfortunately, Mizuki felt his sorrows and released the kiss.

"Hey, are you okay?" she asked, trailing a hand to his cheek.

"Y-yeah. I'm fine," he said dejectedly, making it obvious that he was lying.

"I may not know what you're thinking about right now, but I know you shouldn't be thinking it," Mizuki stated with so much care and love that Bee had to let out a small laugh.

"You're right. Tonight's what's important for now." And with that, he gave her another kiss, one that was a bit more aggressive than the last. There was a little experiment he wanted to test. He learned about it on the internet but finally wanted to see what all the hype was about.

Bumblebee let his hand drift down and play with the hem of her skirt, making contact with the skin underneath. Mizuki let out a small gasp and he took that moment put his tongue in. Only touching the bottom over her upper lip at first, but once she was allowing it, Bee started exploring around her teeth.

The sensation was exhilarating, he had never been this intimate with her before. For whatever reason, he felt that if he ever took too much of a step forward, it might offend the object of his affection. Human relationships were so very new and different for him, granted he's been with her for a little under two years. But now? Nothing could ruin this moment.

"Hey! What are you two kids doing? You're not allowed to be here!" a soldier exclaimed, oblivious to exactly who they are.

_I stand corrected,_ he thought to himself, turning his attention to a man who was waving around a flashlight.

Standing on the strip malls  
>Since dark night<br>We're aliens invading (Aliens invading)

In the night sky, everyone looked exactly the same. The soldier had been given only one chore for the party and that was to make sure no one was caught sneaking around.

Are aliens invading? (Aliens invading)  
>Are aliens invading?<p>

"Get over here, you two. What are your names?" he asked, nearing the frightened—and slightly amused—couple. "You kids are in a heck of a lot of trouble. When I find your parents…" he started grumbling.

"Bee, what should we do?" Mizuki whispered to him, poking his arm. She saw him give her a mischievous look. "Aw, do we really have to?"

"Yup," he chirped with a wide smile.

Run for your life!

* * *

><p><em>Ain't that a cheesy ending? If you guys ever wanna see anything in my chapters (just like <span>Dreaming Out Loud since '98<span>) do not hesitate to ask. Unless whatever you're asking for is so out of content, that's the only time I must deny it, but I'm a very creative person so your hopes will most likely not be crushed. **Goals are 3 reviews or 2 favorites/alerts!**_

_**~Replies~**_

_**Dreaming Out Loud since '98: **I saw your first review and then I started having a slight panic attack when you didn't finish your sentence. I was all like, "OMG, what ever will she suggest?" Then you reviewed again and then I was like, "Whoa, crisis averted. Whew!" Your ideas have been promptly written onto a piece of paper and are preparing for when they shall be used. Whenever I look at that piece of paper, I imagine your elephant, sitting there, taunting me. Life is but a cruel and ironic glitch. P.S. I gave Prowlie your kiss, but he kinda looked at me funny and asked me why I was kissing him. Nova got your hug but is still distracted from when I kissed Prowler and managed to stay unscathed. _

**_DarkAngelMel2: _**_Sadly, Bonnie can't have an alt. mode because she is a techno-organic. So, technically, being Cybertronian is her alt. mode. There are, although, a few others who will have a new alt. mode, but that is information I cannot disclose. You must suffer—I mean, wait, like everyone else. If ever there is a fire, you will never know what Nova will do ;). Skids and Mudflap do have a tendency to barely squish humans—namely me, but all is forgiven at the end of the day. It's fragging painful for poor OP to take it slow (as you've read in this chapter... well, a little bit of it, anyway). Leo isn't quite done with this story yet, he's got more crazy antics in store. _

**_~Don't be a stranger ;D_**


	16. Party? Pranks? Perfect! Pt 3

_Hello all! Yes, this chapter was extremely late but only because le goals took a while to complete. Here's the third installment of the party! Here is an official shout out to Dreaming Out Loud since '98! I am proud to be able to say that I knew you from when you were still Aislynn Sparrow. Because of her, I have squeezed in an extra drop of Bonnie in this chapter and Megsy (though sadly he does not get the girl... yet *evil smirk*)._

**_Alter Ego#2: _**_OMyG! Don't you dare fraggin' take so long to update ever again!_

**_Me: _**_Actually, this isn't the longest I've ever—_

**_Alter Ego#2: _**_Hup-tut-tut, no more speaking from you! I will read this story and you will keep writing. Understand?_

**_Me: _**_Um, sure but I still—_

**_Alter Ego#2: She don't own Transformers!_**

* * *

><p>Perception. A point of view based completely on opinion.<p>

On one side of the world, the night was a bright and lively setting. It radiated happiness and mirth for all who were granted its presence. A woman's voice could be heard singing for the crowd in front of her.

Night is falling  
>We come undone<br>My heart is broken  
>Yeah you're still my only one<p>

On the other side of the world, it was a lonely, pitiful excuse of time. On that side of the world, the night was a black pit, slowly burning away a horrible waste of life.

Decepticons.

One Decepticon in particular felt the acidic ripping on his spark more than the others. He snarled at all his subordinates, wanting them to feel his pain as well. Both physical and emotional. Megatron hated his life. He hated how it turned to be. Never in his entire existence did he once think that there would be a war so massive that it spread across the universe, and he was in charge of one, complete half.

But I got so many  
>Things left to do<br>I wanna feel like I've been through  
>What you've been through<p>

"Megatron," a shaky voice hissed, "we cannot lay idle any longer. We must start planning our next moves." Starscream bowed before his leader, secretly loathing the very ground Megatron walked on. How the second in command stayed alive, Starscream will never know.

"Idiot!" Megatron roared, forcefully kicking the mech aside as he rose to his feet. "It is because of you that we _must_ stay in hiding!" The leader was not yet done with the horrible tortures he would ensue in that pathetic excuse of life. Any morals that may have resurfaced inside of Megatron were now destroyed, along with his happiness.

"But, my lord, we must at least try to—," Starscream was cut off by a blast to the leg. Refraining from howling in pain, he bit his lip plate trying to reconnect the severed wires.

"We will stay until I deem that we are ready to move," Megatron stated almost calmly, though you could still hear the bitter in his voice.

"We need to act!" he tried once more, immediately regretting his decision. His higher-up started stomping his way to the weakened mech and pushed his head to the ground with a foot. A mace replaced Megatron's hand and was ready to take a swing whenever he wanted. A heavy pause engulfed the room as a stare-down began.

"Remove yourself from my sight," he hissed, disrupting the stillness with a snarl. "And bring Soundwave in; it's pertinent that I speak with him. Hopefully, even you won't mess that up." The order was followed through as quickly as it came.

Outside the beaten down doors of an abandoned, underground mine, Starscream hobbled hurriedly to find the mech in question waiting stoically for his turn to verbalize with their commander, adjacent from the entrance.

"He wants to speak with you. Try not to agitate him," the pained mech huffed, scurrying away while Soundwave watched him a little bit further.

He frowned greatly on Starscream. Not only because of his inability to focus on the true goals, but because of his abominable social skills. And yes… that _does_ matter.

Soundwave marched into the room to see a somewhat impatient 'Con pacing in front of his make-shift throne. There was something he needed to know about, and he's been dying to ask ever since.

"You needed to talk?" Megatron asked, pausing in his ministrations. The heat in his body was escalating rapidly from anger. You could even hear the faint whistling of overworked systems. "Well? Out with it!" he barked.

"Inquire; status on femme," Soundwave stated his question. A skill only he could do, but the others have grown accustomed to it.

You are my first love  
>Trust me I have tried<br>But now I know I need to go  
>Just spread my wings and fly<p>

Megatron's repressed animosity and tense processors flushed out of him at the sound of those words. With a quick scan, he made sure no one was near enough to eavesdrop into their conversation.

"She is well. Starscream had inflicted damage to her on my last encounter, but she should be fine, nonetheless," he informed with little emotion. The Decepticon leader was not the only person who knew—and grew fond of—Nova. The sly femme had managed to sneak into the compassion circuitry of Soundwave, Barricade, and Blackout as well.

"Total damage on femme?" his question sounding monotonous as always.

"Her leg was crushed and her chest armor was bruised," Megatron sighed. They both slipped into a reminiscent silence.

Baby  
>Let my love, Let my love go<br>Baby  
>Let me live, I've got to go<br>Maybe  
>One day I'll be yours who knows<br>Baby  
>My love, Let my love go<p>

"Memory status?" Soundwave broke the stillness with. Nova and he had a whole other set of memories that barely contained Megatron in them. Had she been an only child, most likely her allegiance would lie with the Decepticons and they would've been partners in crime.

"I gave her the memories I had of her. I'm not positive on how much she remembers about you or the others."

"Understandable," he affirmed. "Proper action; terminate Starscream. Presence; expendable," Soundwave opined. He knew frag well that if Starscream were dead, he would be the second in command and the war would have been a Pit of a lot easier to win.

"You know why he's still here," Megatron reminded. "If I let him slip from my sight, the entire universe may just as well commit suicide before having to deal with that revolting creature." The 'Con shuddered at the thought of Starscream ruling in place of him.

"Barricade and Blackout would have wanted to know this information on Nova's status," Soundwave thought aloud to himself. That, in and of itself, was a rare thing indeed.

"As far as I know, they were both terminated. Blackout is still in the Laurentian Abyss. Barricade is—," he stopped himself short when a small blip appeared on his scanners. "Leave the room. There is nothing left for you here," Megatron growled, putting back on his "Normal" persona.

With a curt nod that held more words than Soundwave would care to express, he was gone.

(Baby gotta let me go)  
>My love, Let my love go<br>(Gotta let me go)  
>My love<br>(Baby gotta let me go)  
>Let my love go<p>

* * *

><p>"Judy! Ron!" Nova greeted to the huddled up family, giving them both small hugs with a child in her grasp. "Sammy, you made it!"<p>

"Wouldn't miss this party for the world," he said, giving her a hug as well.

"Sure, uh-huh," Nova kidded.

"Nova! My goodness you have not aged one bit!" Judy screeched.

"Judy, honey, of course she doesn't age, it's a simulation," Ron corrected.

"Oh shut up, there's no way she can look this beautiful without a few secrets," she snapped, hitting her husband softly on the shoulder.

"Um, thanks? I think…" Nova muttered, remembering why she had always felt so lost when she was with the Witwickys.

"Oh my, is this who I think it is?" Judy spoke, reaching a warm hand out to Bonnie who looked very scared of this woman.

"Yup, this is my pride and joy," Nova answered, coaxing her daughter to relax a little. "Her name's Bonnie."

"Well, she is just adorable, isn't she Ron? Sammy, why can't you give us kids like this?" she asked obnoxiously.

"Mom!"

"Judy!"

"What? I'm not going to lie in front of their faces," she replied, putting back a huge smile once she turned to face the fluffy pink girl. "Aw, I wish I had a grandchild to spoil, just look at this little face," she cooed, gently tickling Bonnie's face.

Okay, _now_ Bonnie liked her. She grabbed the woman's hand and put it on her forehead for no apparent reason.

"Well, someone has made a new friend," Nova giggled.

"She looks just like you, Nova," Sam commented, taking a turn to play with the squealing child. "Well, you know, if you were a baby… And if you were a human—a human-baby is what I'm saying. Like, okay, say that you were actually born a human—" He was stopped from his awkward speech impediment.

"Sam, I get it," Nova said with a sarcastic smile.

"Yeah, she's like a spitting image," Ron stated, comparing the two.

"But she doesn't look anything like Optimus," Judy cut in.

"I noticed that, too." Ron and Judy looked at Nova for some sort of explanation.

"Um… uh… well, it's just, uh… You see, um—," she stuttered, caught completely off guard by the spontaneous question. She knew she should've come up with a story a long time ago.

"Mom, that's kind of personal," Sam saved her with. He saw the nod of thanks Nova gave him as she released a heavy breath.

"Oh, it's not that personal. We're like family now. Right, Nova? We've known each other for so long. So how's your sex life?" Judy blurted, looking utterly interested.

The men in the group immediately started choking and Nova almost dropped her baby. She started discreetly hyperventilating as well.

"W-what?" she squeaked, optics widened to a painful size.

"Oh, you know, it's all part of a healthy relationship. You need to make sure he's treating you right. I mean, does he—?"

"Judy!" Ron stopped her. "Let's not scar the poor girl," he scolded.

"Um, come on, Nova. Let's, uh, find Mikaela," Sam stuttered as he began to drag her away from his parents.

"But Mikaela's on the st—!"

"I said _we'll_ find her, Ma!" Sam shouted towards his mother as he hastily dragged Nova as far away from his parents as he could. "I'm so sorry about that. My mom is kind of… off," he apologized.

"It's okay Sammy. I'm _almost _used to it. But for some reason, I feel really dirty," she shuddered, tightening her hold on the child in her arms.

"And that's why I don't have a lot of friends," he said with melancholy.

"Yes, that's why," she said sarcastically. "Hey, so how's your school stuff? You officially a college boy?" she asked, jabbing him softly with an elbow.

"Yup, I'm livin' a completely normal, 'Con-free, college life. At least for the next six years," he breathed. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I felt like I just needed a break from all this military stuff. I wasn't born for this kind of work."

"I can't say that I can relate. Grew up a soldier, you know? Maybe Bonnie will understand. Then again, she's being raised in a military base," she pondered.

Nova saw a familiar head of blonde hair from her peripheral vision and dropped her train of thought, deciding that a chat with her was long overdue. "Hey, Sam, I gotta get going, it was nice seeing you again," she said, patting his shoulder. "Hope you have better luck on your whole 'normal' thing."

"Thanks. See ya later, Nova!"

The femme worked her way to the outer edges of the party and tapped a single finger on the back of the woman in front of her.

"Sarah?"

"Oh hey, Nova! I knew I'd run into you here," Mrs. Lennox chirped.

"Only the inevitable," Nova shrugged. "Hey there, Annabelle. You've grown up a lot since I've last seen you," she spoke softly to the little girl dressed as a sailor. Her mother was dressed as a sailor as well, but with a lot more variation. A _lot_ more.

"Hi," Anna spoke timidly. At this, Sarah laughed softly. Her daughter was still learning to speak, but at least she knew the basics of manners.

"Aw, Annie, don't be shy. See, look, it's Bonnie. Remember when she was in Nova's tummy?" Sarah asked and Annabelle nodded her head slowly. "So, how's being a mommy working for you? It's not as hard as you thought, right?"

"That doesn't mean it's _not_ hard. But it's all worth it to see her smile," Nova told sincerely.

"Isn't that the truth," Sarah agreed.

"I don't know how you do it. I mean, I have the boys here to help me, but raising a child on your own? You're like a super hero," Nova alleged.

"Oh, that's not true," Sarah scoffed, trying to remain modest.

"No, come on. You have a few secrets, I know it. Like, how do you get her to go to sleep? Bonnie likes to mess around before calming down. This one's got way too much energy," she revealed.

"Oh, that one's easy. Just keep her busy during the day and put her in her crib at night. Eventually, they'll get used to the schedule and sleep on time," Sarah shared.

"I feel like such an idiot," Nova sighed, dropping her head slightly.

"It's okay, that's how I felt in the first few months of motherhood," Sarah chuckled.

"You know, this really isn't the place for little children. The first couple hours of the party is going to play soft music just so the families can bring in their kids for reunions and whatnot, but I think that in a few minutes, the music is going to start picking up. There's a quieter spot in the other hangar that we can bring them," Nova informed.

"Yeah, sure, we can drop them off," Sarah acknowledged. It felt nice to finally have someone to talk to about things like this. She's been alone on the farm for several months at a time and never really had places to go, so girl talk was a real necessity.

They arrived to the neighboring hangar that was already filled with older parents, grandparents, toddlers, and nostalgia. It was definitely more peaceful, but it was the type of place that people could just catch up in.

"Hey, Jolt, you up for childcare duty?" Nova asked as she waved at her friend who wore a shirt that had a print of a scrub suit and stethoscope. _Real original, Jolt._

"Yes, I am. You ladies dropping them off?" he asked, opening the gate to the play-pen he was in. There were other children in there playing amongst themselves as their parents watched from the outside of the waist high fence.

"Yup," Sarah answered. She then turned to the apprehensive child. "Sweetie, are you going to be okay in there?" she asked sweetly.

On the other side of the mothers, Nova was asking Bonnie a few questions of her own.

"Bonnie, can you promise Mommy that you won't…" she whispered the next part, "… transform in front of the other kids?" To her surprise, Bonnie actually nodded in agreement.

She understood that her transformations were supposed to be a secret. Her mommy always used those words whenever they were with strangers.

"Jolt, I trust that you'll pay close attention to Bonnie's… abilities," Nova insinuated to the holoform at the gate.

"Of course," he nodded.

"What abilities?" Sarah asked. She was not clued into the Autobots at all. As far as she knew, Ironhide was just an A.I. car from the military that was meant to be a secret.

"Um, when Bonnie gets sugar, she gets a bit crazy and often puts herself in danger," Nova lied smoothly.

"Oh. You're right, she _does_ have a lot of energy," Sarah observed.

"Jote," Bonnie gurgled, tugging on his pant leg.

"Yes, Bonnie?" he responded, kneeling down to meet her at eye-level.

"I wahn joosh," she said, barely being able to enunciate or complete her sentence smoothly.

The two women walked back to the other hangar, leaving their children with their antics, and started chatting with the others, sharing stories and so on. They found a group of recent military mothers and shared tips and tricks with each other.

"Your entire family is in the military with you?" one of them asked Nova after a couple minutes of common laughter.

"Yeah, great place to start a life, huh?" she said sarcastically.

"That's dedication right there," another one commented.

"As long as I know they're safe, I'm fine. But there's so much stress just knowing the 'what ifs,' you know?" Nova relayed.

"It's torture. I can barely get through two months witho—Whoa, who's that?" the woman from earlier asked, looking at a man behind them.

"Well, he is cute," a tall brunette uttered. The small pack of girls giggled in agreement.

Nova on the other hand didn't even bother to turn around. She just laughed at the giddiness in the group.

"Oh my goodness, ladies, he's coming this way," one of them squealed. There was a general hushing sound before the man approached them.

"Guys? Why did you all get so quiet," Nova asked. She turned around to address the source of the problem but earned herself a face full of upper chest. "Oof!"

"Are you all right?" a deep voice rumbled.

"We are now that you're here," someone teased and the ladies laughed.

Optimus wrapped an arm around Nova's waist as he tried not to look at the other women with a confused expression.

"Nova, you know him?" Sarah asked. She hasn't met Optimus before, but has heard a lot about him.

"Yup, this is my soon to be hubby," Nova announced, patting his neck from behind her. The troop of women gaped at her wide-eyed. "W-what's wrong?" A blonde, short haired woman pulled her forward roughly, forcing Nova into a completely bent over position and whispered so only the females could hear.

"Sweetie, your fiancé is the sexiest, dog-gone beast that ever done walked the Earth and you're acting like it's something you can buy from Wal-Mart. _That's_ what's wrong," she explained quickly with a barely noticeable southern accent. That would explain the southern belle costume.

"Okay, thanks for the heads up," Nova bid uneasily. The second she was released from her awkward 90 degree angle, her body snapped up unbelievably quick. As soon as she was back in Optimus' hold, he tightened his arms.

"Your skirt seems to be a tad short. Those men over there would've gotten a free show if I wasn't here," he hummed in her ear.

"Shut up," she giggled, swiping at his chest.

"Ladies, if I may borrow her for a moment?" he asked for their permission.

One woman wolf-whistled and Nova started blushing up a storm. _Huh, it's been a while since I've done that._

He took that as a mutual agreement. Optimus led Nova to the long, snack covered table and poured her a drink.

"Would you care for a drink, miss?"

"Don't mind if I do, sir," she chirped, adjusting to the small act they had going on.

"So what brings you to this part of the snack table?"

"Well, there's been a rumor going around that there was this gorgeous N.E.S.T. soldier around here and I just had to meet 'em," Nova gossiped, sipping at her drink.

"Really? Because I'm talking to her," he offered smoothly, making her cheeks heat up once more. "You know, if you don't have anything else to do tonight, would you like to join me for a danc—?"

"Nova!" Mizuki interrupted. "Nova, Nova, we gotta go, Mikaela's done with her performance."

"Already? Aw, cram it, we have to hurry," she murmured to herself. Nova then turned her head to the befuddled mech. "Hey, you… I'll think about that dance," she said before running off.

The two girls paced backstage to meet their third musketeer and found her casually sitting on an amp, downing what seemed to be her second water bottle. Mikaela had already changed from her Ke$ha outfit to her policewoman outfit.

"Man, it is freaking hot on that stage," she panted. "Are you guys ready for Mission: Impossible?" she kidded.

"Almost, just one last detail," Nova mumbled mysteriously. She stepped forward, unbuttoning the second half of Mikaela's shirt and tying it up so that her stomach was exposed. "Just for good measure." The three of them laughed as they made a bee-line for a certain mech.

"Nova, are you absolutely sure we need to distract Prowl?" Mikaela asked, suddenly getting cold feet.

"Yes, we've been through this, Miki," she comforted, rubbing her shoulder as they strode across the halls.

"But he's a Cybertronian, I don't think I can do anything to 'distract' him," she rebutted.

"He's also a mech, which in human terms is a male, which means that he will buy it. The species known as men all think alike, whether they hail from this planet or that. You just have to tickle his fancy," she explained.

"Okay, I think I can do this," she said, taking a deep breath.

"No, you _know _you can do this," Mizuki offered. "Oh my goodness, he's right there," she suddenly started panicking.

"Calm down," Nova scolded silently. "Hey, Prowl," she greeted as they neared him.

* * *

><p><em>Oh noes! A cliffhanger! Now you'll never know what the prank is! Well, until I post up the next chapter, anyway. If you want to see the prank, make sure y'alls review! <em>

_**I have a question for all of you so read this please!**__ What are you going to be for Halloween?_

_**~Replies~**_

_**DarkAngelMel2: **Sideswipe shall get his comedic relief soon enough. For now, I shall have him running around like a prima donna. OP and Bee are definitely not complaining about the costumes. That's male ego for ya. Whenever Optimus needs an excuse, he usually just blames it on the fact that he's a Prime (what a killjoy). I liked the costumes and wished I had one for myself, but it was like 40-50 bucks, and it was online, too. I just didn't have the will power to use the extra effort. But mark my words, I will wear that costume one day, just for the heck of it (oh, but I am a foolish child). My best friend (of whom I usually refer to as my sister) said she'd get the Bumblebee one if I ever got the OP one so we could be awesome, heheh._

**_Dreaming Out Loud since '98: _**_First of all, y__ou are very much welcome and thanks for seeing me as a role model. I never saw myself as much compared to the wonderful authors here on fanfic, but hearing that from you just made my day. You needn't worry about my obsession with your elephant, it's quite normal for me to get attached to multiple figments of my imagination (even though your elephant is technically real). For example... During class, my teacher drew a lovely Frankenstein on her whiteboard and I immediately began drawing the exact same thing on my notebook so I can reference it when the situation calls for it (she also drew a beehive with a bumblebee and I begged her to keep it on the whiteboard for the rest of the week. She did). I've never had an old English granny but so far, it's been fun. Prowl's your type, eh? Hmmm... I shall look into that. May I PM you? And another thing, you are one lucky TFfan. My little community has next to zero Transformers stuff (except for the occasional poster and toy here and there) and I have next to zero time to go out and get anything cool! I have stuck with printing things out and "personalizing" many random supplies (ex. my phone case). As to your sighting on the Nova Cut and Blow, yeah, I told her she wasn't allowed to spawn local businesses, no matter how well it was doing. I guess I must've missed a shop, heheh._

**_~Don't be a stranger ;D_**


	17. Party? Pranks? Perfect! Pt 4

_Happy Halloween readers! It's currently 9:57 P.M. in the States so if I'm too late in other regions of the world, sorry! This is your piece of brain candy, from me to you. I'm going to try to update a bit quicker considering the story will end soon (maybe 22ish) and I don't want to elongate the pain. There are exactly two more chapters that can be filled with your suggestions so if you want to suggest something, now's the time to do it before things start picking up again._

**_Alter Ego: _**_Hope all of you get some candies!_

**_Alter Ego#2: She owns nothing!_**

* * *

><p>"Nova, Mizuki, may I ask what you are wearing?" Prowl started unsteadily, observing the painfully detailed costumes as the three women approached him. He didn't get the point of dressing up on Halloween; nevertheless, Nova had begged him to wear something. So he dressed up as a policeman. The femme had given him an evil glare when he showed her.<p>

"Huh, oh these? We made them to look like Optimus and Bee in their bipedal mode," Nova answered nonchalantly.

"This might lead to regrettable outcomes," he informed, quirking an eyebrow at their handy work. If he didn't know any better, Prowl would say that they got everything accounted for, down to the last bolt.

"Don't worry, Prowl. I'm a smart girl, I think I can get out of the situation if it happens to occur," she said with a mocking grin.

"If you say so," he breathed warily. Prowl's gaze drifted across their costumes over to Mikaela's. It would be a lie if he said that he wasn't surprised. Prowl had to fight the urge to react physically, although, all that fighting made him cough.

A cough that all the girls noticed.

"What's wrong Prowl? You don't like policewomen?" Mikaela asked with seductive innocence.

"Um, no, it's just—uh… I did not expect to see you dressed like that," he stumbled, which was very uncharacteristic of him. He felt himself tense up as she sauntered closer to him.

"Aw, Prowlie, you know how the old saying goes, 'Dress for who you want, not who you have,'" she whispered in a way that the others had to crane their neck to hear.

Nova almost burst out laughing the second Mikaela started playing with his skinny tie, twirling it gingerly in her finger tips.

"Um… uh, actually, I believe the phrase is, 'Dress for the job you want, not the one you have,'" he stated, trying to keep his composure.

"Oh, is it? Silly me."

The other two took that as the sign that they should get going before they lost any more precious time. With one more silent snort of laughter, they ran to the main hangar where all the Autobots were parked and looked for the one that was Prowl.

"Did you see his face?" Nova whispered, choking back her laughs.

"I was about to explode," Mizuki whispered loudly, tearing up from her silent giggles.

"Come on, let's paint him already. I also got the cleaning supplies for an extra kick," Nova told her, putting down the bucket which held aforementioned supplies. The girls went to work, painting his exterior in a certain pattern. After quickly getting the paint on, they knew they only had a few minutes left to flood his tanks with the cleaning supplies.

Nova disabled his ammo mechanism and poured in a bunch of dishwashing soap. Mizuki tipped in as many gallons of green, goopy soap she could fit into his naturally empty gas tank. The two stepped back to admire their work.

"We done?" Mizuki questioned.

"Almost." Nova took a giant golden ring which was about the size of her head and attached it to his side view mirror. "Done. The second he transforms into his bipedal mode, it's goodbye Prowl and hello Mr. Clean. This will teach the mechs to start dressing up correctly on Halloween," she snickered.

Mizuki gave Nova a quick high five before they made their way back to rescue Mikaela.

"Hey, Nova, who'd you get to play for a while? They sound good," Mizuki commented when the sounds of a band traveled through the hall.

"I think they called themselves Linkin' Park. They're this one soldier's friends. You know, there are these three songs they have that would totally fit in with our whole war. I guess that when I heard them, I sort of just connected," she relayed, thinking heavily on her choices.

"Well, that was deep."

The girls returned to see Prowl already have his tie loosened with this entranced look in his optic. Mikaela was a miracle worker.

"Miki, I think it's about high time we go. You're due back at the stage in a while," Nova stated, quickly pulling the woman with her.

"Bye, Prowl," she purred. Mikaela turned back to her friends, and once they were at a respectable distance, they all let out cackles of laughter.

"Miki, what did you do to him? He looks broken," Nova howled through the fits of joy.

"I think he is! What took you guys so long? I honestly was about to say, 'What does it feel like to screw people with the long dick of the law?'" The girls let out another round of laughter.

"You know, I think we would've taken longer just so we could hear you say that," Mizuki added.

"Okay, okay, okay," Nova let out, trying to slow everyone's heart rates down. "Mikaela, you're going to be late for your turn on stage."

"I don't wanna go," she whined childishly. "My throat hurts, someone else go."

"I would if I could, but I can—," Nova started.

"No, you _can!_" Mikaela gasped, pointing a knowing finger at her. "Please, please, please, Nova. Just go up there, I don't like the bright lights. Please, I'll owe you one!" she begged.

"No, but I have to—"

"PLEASE!" she groaned. The girl even went as far as pretending to faint. "I'm going to die."

"Fine! I'll do it if it shuts up your whining," Nova snapped in mock anger.

"Thank you! I love you, Nova," Mikaela uttered, pushing her friend to her limits.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Mikaela immediately stood up, obviously looking way better than she had before, and started pushing Nova towards the backstage. After much fussing, they finally arrived.

"Hey, Mikaela, you ready to go up?" Jazz asked, approaching them with a microphone and battery pack.

The dark haired girl shook her head and put her hands on her throat, telling him that she couldn't sing.

"Oh, quit it. I swear, you're worse than Bee when he plays it up," Nova scoffed, rolling her eyes. "I've been forced to take her spot, Jazzy. What are we singing?"

"Oh, I'm not going up yet. Elita's your partner," he claimed, attaching the small cord around her ear and snapping the back on the rim of her skirt.

"Wait, what? But, I thought—"

"Shh, don't talk," he interrupted, flipping the switch on her pack. "Mic's hot, now get onstage!" he whispered in a hurried manner.

"But I don't even know—," she said, covering the mic so her voice wouldn't be heard.

"No time, get out there!"

She was led—no—she was _forced _out onto the stage and met with Elita's holoform behind a few amps.

::Where's Mikaela?:: Elita asked.

::Not feeling well. I'm her replacement. Quick, what's our song line-up?:: she rushed, suddenly feeling very light-headed.

::First one is Up Out My Face by Mariah Carey,:: she relayed as they walked out into view.

::Oh good, I know that one.::

Back in the audience, Mikaela plopped herself down at a table that was currently being occupied by Sam and Optimus.

"Hey, Mikaela, I thought you were supposed to be singing?" Sam inquired.

"I gots me a replacement," she chirped as she rolled her head to the side to get a good look at the men there.

"Who?"

"Oh, Primus," Optimus muttered as he caught sight of the two femmes on the stage. It wasn't really that he was stressed about seeing his dearest up there, it was more of the fact that said dearest was wearing a finely detailed depiction of his body, so yeah, he felt kind of awkward. In all honesty, the boss 'Bot wanted to keep that picture his little secret.

"You know, her costume looks a lot more like you when she's up there," Sam mulled over.

"It's probably because of the lights. It gets real hot on stage," Mikaela answered. A funny thought hit her mind. She didn't know much about Cybertronians, but according to what she has acquired from her friend, Nova was probably the Transformer equivalent of a Playboy bunny in that outfit. A Playbot, as it were. "Oh, Optimus, you perverted little robot," she giggled, even more so when he flashed her a stupefied look.

The night continued and finally, the two femmes earned themselves a well deserved break. Elita-1 traveled to who-knows-where while Nova allowed herself to be pushed and pulled by the crowd. She was too exhausted to walk on her own will and find a chair to sit on. Her journey finally ended when she bumped into what felt like a brick wall.

"Hey, stranger, it's you again," she greeted him.

"You still saved that dance for me, I hope," he vaguely offered.

"Instead of a dance, how about I just sing for you," she suggested cheekily with dollops of irony sprinkled in. When Nova saw the don't-give-me-crap look from him, she sighed and dropped the act. "Optimus, my feet feel like slag right now. I don't think I have enough power to even stand anymore," she complained, leaning her forehead onto his chest. Suddenly, she felt herself being lifted and the blood rushing past her aching feet. "Primus, I love you," she groaned dramatically.

As quickly as she was raised up, she was dropped down.

"What the—?" Nova looked up to see that it was Sideswipe who was holding her right now. He was relatively shorter than Optimus, so when he made a grab for her, it was quite the drop.

"Hey, I hope you're not busy, but I need your help," he asked her, placing her down.

"No, Sides, I'm not busy. I was just in his arms because there were no more chairs," she said, tone dripping with sarcasm.

"What? More problems?" he shrieked, grabbing at his hair. "Well, that's kind of what I needed you for. I can't find any of my so called assistants, so I need the next best thing to co-host while I finally get to enjoy my party," he spoke quickly, giving her his clipboard and the headpiece he had been wearing.

"Wha—Sides! You can't just force your job on me! That's—," she stopped herself when he dashed away from her. "Sides, you fragger!"

"I guess that means you have places to be?" a rejected voice spoke up from behind her.

"I promise, I will make time for you," she said sternly, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before running off to check the items on the list.

_1. Secure perimeter of party area._

_What? _Nova double-checked the tedious chore. There was no way in Pit she was going to walk the perimeter of the three hangars currently in use. _If only Red Alert was here._ She then called the most willing 'Bot to do the dirty work.

::Prowl? Can you check around the party hangars? I think I saw something—uh—suspicious,:: she sent with a fake tone of concern.

::Improbable. The security cameras would show that—::

::Just do it!:: she screeched, reeling back herself from the force her words came. Nova got an affirmative from his side of the links and scanned the second chore.

_2. Check and remove any weapons or threats within the party area._

_Weapons? Really? _ Nova internally rolled her eyes at the paranoia of her friend. Even she wasn't this jumpy… at times.

"Okay, weapons, weapons… where do I begin?" she thought out loud, completely clueless as to how to even find anything dangerous while being crowded by a thousand or so people. "Start with the obvious," Nova muttered, searching for two mechs in particular.

She weaved through the crowed in a vaguely, overstretched serpentine motion until sounds of bickering could be heard. _How fortunate, I found them._

"Ironhide! You do not threaten humans! I should weld you to a target for doing that!" Ratchet grumbled, fuming at the holoform in front of him. Luckily, they were outside the party where no one could hear them unless someone had been listening intently.

That someone being Nova.

"He thought he could mess with me and I simply proved him wrong," Ironhide barked back.

"Your proof was to pummel him in front of his wife?" the medic retorted. "Thank Primus that I pulled you away before you could throw a punch!"

Nova saw the way Ratchet's hand twitched towards his back pocket where surely a wrench would lay. With swift and silent feet, she slipped behind Ratchet, making sure he couldn't see her.

"How was I supposed to know that was his wife?" Ironhide retorted, not noticing the femme from the heat of their argument.

"Um, how about from the way she was begging him to go back to their children instead of picking a fight with you?" he explained, throwing his hands in the sky. Ratchet was about to make a grab for his handy-dandy wrench when all he grabbed was air.

Nova had swiped the wrench not a second too soon before he could use it against Ironhide.

"What the—?" The medic turned around to see Nova sheepishly waving at him.

"Hey, Ratch. Didn't mean to interrupt your conversation here, but I have orders to rid the party of weapons and…" She waved the wrench in her hand while pointing at it. "Sorry, but it's got to go."

"Thank Primus," Ironhide mumbled. His optics widened when she stepped in front of him with an expecting hand held out. "What? I've got nothing on me," he scoffed.

"Uh-huh, and I'm Sides' sparkmate. Come on, big boy, out with it," she said with a nod of her head.

He sighed and rolled his optics, reaching in his pockets for many, many things: a taser, two guns, a box cutter, three tranquilizer needles, and a small smoke bomb.

"What the Pit, Hide? Where you _expecting_ to kill someone today?" Nova gawked at how relatively heavily armed he was.

"Can never be too safe around sketchy things," he reasoned with a shrug.

"Yeah, sure," she stated uneasily. "Um, I'm going to go away now. Try not to strangle anyone, Hide," she said awkwardly. "Wait," Nova said, stopping her slight bee-line for the-heck-outta-here. "Ratchet, give it," she gestured to his pockets.

"But what if someone needs help?" he tried to reason, to no avail. "Fine," he grumbled, taking out his backup wrench and his spare-backup wrench.

"Thank you," Nova chirped, finding a place to ditch all that crazy in her arms. She quickly found a janitor's closet and dumped it in there, making sure to lock it with the electronic lock on the door. It opened only to specific I.D. and certain spark signatures. _Next chore._

_3. Check the needs of the party guests._

_Okay, easy enough. I just have to look around for people who might need help._ She started by wandering around the middle of the high traffic area, scanning for anyone who might be having an unpleasant time. Nova spotted Mudflap amongst the commotion and saw him looking extremely uncomfortable by a skinny, lanky type woman in front of him. She crept closer to listen in to their conversation.

"Look, lady, it's all flatterin' and stuff, but I kind of just—," Mudflap started, but was stopped by a crooked finger on his lips.

"Shh, it's okay, I know I have that reaction with all men," she hummed in a surprisingly sultry voice. Nova had to do a double-take to make sure that voice was coming from the same woman. The lady then proceeded to grind excruciatingly close to Mudflap, all the while giving him a flirty look.

Nova was having way too much fun watching them, but alas, Mudflap was her friend, so she had to save him.

"Excuse me, is there a problem here?" Nova asked sweetly.

"No problem at all—," the woman was cut off.

"Nova, thank Primus, you're here," he gasped, hiding behind her.

"Miss, I must ask you to not disturb the partygoers here. We all just want a good time," Nova stated calmly, noticing the fury building in this strange lady's eyes.

"And what are you going to do about it?" the pale woman snapped, crowding closer to Nova's personal space. "You gonna give me a note and tell me to stop?" She pushed on Nova's shoulder forcefully which ended up hitting Mudflap's face.

"Whoa, girl, nuh-uh. Tell me you did not do that," Nova seethed, her threat meaning all it meant. Probably not the best idea.

"What, you mean this?" The girl pushed her again.

"Nova, find your happy place, she's not a big threat, just back away. You can take her out the party, don't make scene," Mudflap muttered in her ear.

Too bad she wasn't listening.

"I will give you to the count of three to get out of my face," Nova stated, excreting anger from every direction. "One… two… thr—"

This lady would have none of it. She slapped Nova right across the face, making sure that she scratched her with the long, acrylic nails she sported. A collection of "Ooh's" encased the feud.

"Nova, please don—"

"Glitch, it is on!" Nova roared, ignoring Mudflap's pleas and pouncing towards the crazy freak in front of her. She was pretty sure she got a few hits before she felt a pair of arms restricting her. Nova was still clawing as she was lifted in mid-air.

She spotted Chromia holding back the girl who dared to lay a finger on her. How the blue femme showed so much restraint at this time was a mystery to all. If anything, she would be fighting this stupid human right alongside Nova.

"Let me go! I'm not done with that creep!" Nova expected whoever was holding her to put her down, but no, they had other plans. Her captor traveled all the way to the outside of the crowd and dropped her none too gracefully onto a chair.

"Prowl is going to be on your aft for that stunt you pulled," he said monotonously.

Nova couldn't really tell if he was laughing at her or actually scolding her because she didn't want to look at him.

"Pipe-sucker was harassing Mudflap," she muttered.

"As if Mudflap hadn't harassed anyone else before," Sunstreaker scoffed. "Come on, give me the clipboard." She aggressively stuck it out for him. "That's a good femme. Headpiece, too." He saw her rip it off her head and slightly throw it at him.

"She should get kicked out of the party," Nova huffed. "I'm gonna make sure Chromia taught her a lesson," she grunted, standing quickly.

"You have two choices, Nova," he told her, pushing the volatile femme down by her shoulder. "One, go back to that hormone-driven pervert and apologize…"

"Frag no!"

"… Or I have to give you the reprimand speech. Courtesy of Prowl, himself."

"Ugh, The Speech? Fine, anything else but apologizing to that… thing," she scowled in disgust.

"Fine. Ahem. You know that your actions proved to lead to unsatisfactory conclusions, yes?" He paused to let her nod in response. "And you know the source of your misguided directions?" She nodded again. "Great. So, blah, blah, blah, something about three strikes and make sure you never do that again." He was thoroughly enjoying himself at this moment. "And your punishment is…" He quickly flicked her in the nose, furthering his merriment even more.

"Ow!" she squealed, reeling back in pain. "What was that for?"

"That's how humans train unruly dogs," he joked evilly.

"Jerk," she snarled, ducking her head to mope a bit more.

Now, he was worried. It was usually only him and a select few that ever acted in such a manner, not Nova. Never Nova. The weird part was that he was feeling pretty giddy himself. Talk about switched auras.

"Hey, stop being such a Hatchet, it doesn't look good on you," he comforted, sitting next to her so that their shoulders touched. Quickly taking out a pen that he kept with him and grabbing a napkin from a nearby table, he scribbled something and handed it to her.

Nova noticed his pen. It looked pretty expensive, something the professionals would use. It seemed to ink pretty well, too. As he handed her the lavender napkin, Nova had to hold back a giggle.

"An elephant?" she asked with a "Seriously?" look.

"What, you wanted a panda?" he scoffed, snatching the limp item from her. Sunstreaker heard the forlorn sigh that escaped her and rolled his optics internally. "If it means that much to you, I'll give that creepy fleshling a good 'talking to,'" Sunny offered hesitantly, nudging the brooding femme beside him.

"Really? You'd do that for me?" she asked, perking up at the slightest bit.

"Why not?" Sunstreaker let out with a deep breath. "Apparently we're family or something," he joked bitterly, feeling better now that she was picking up her attitude.

"Thanks Sunny-Bunny," she beamed.

Now, it was _his_ attitude that instantly went sour.

"Don't call me that," he growled.

"Sure thing, Sunshine."

"Or that."

"Whatever you say, Sunflower."

"How many of those do you have?"

"Oh, you know, enough… Sunnykins."

He couldn't take anymore so he stood up and proceeded to ditch her.

"Hey, wait, Sunstreaker," she pleaded with a completely serious tone. Nova saw him turn around with a small smirk on his face due to the fact that it seemed she wanted _his_ company.

"I love you."

Sunny's smirk dropped in record time and he rolled his eyes and walked away from the femme as she started giggling. He knew she wasn't completely mocking him, but it wouldn't be good for his image if he returned the favor. Besides, that type of affection was reserved for Sideswipe.

And Jeffy.

And Bonnie.

This time, Sunstreaker's storming off was stopped by the sound of clicking heels and a hand on his shoulder.

"No, no, no, now I actually have something to ask you," Nova relayed, sobering from her laughing fit.

"What?" he grumbled in an annoyed manner, though he was genuinely enjoying her accompaniment.

"Well, this is meant to be a secret so… shh," she instituted primarily by placing a finger onto her lips. "Anyway, I wanted to do something for Optimus, I mean, he's been through so much slag for me, it's-it's just not fair, you know?"

"Oh, yeah. I know," he stated knowingly, feeling that she was underestimating her irritability.

"Oh, hush up. So, as I was saying, I want to get him a present or something. Whatever it takes to return as many favors as physically possible," she informed, hoping that Sunny wouldn't just brush off her petty request.

"It's going to take more than material object to repay him," Sunstreaker announced forwardly.

"Thus the words 'as physically possible.' Were you not listening?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips.

He considered what she was proposing for a couple kliks. _What's the worst that could happen? All she wants is some help on a gift that Boss 'Bot could use. It's not that hard to come up with something._

"Okay, whatever. I'll help you, but later. I have a bet with Sides; whoever gets the most phone numbers wins."

"But, you don't even like humans," Nova stated, laughing at their bet on the inside.

"Doesn't mean I don't want to win. Apparently, it's very easy to get human femmes to hang off your every word when you brood in a corner," he shrugged.

Nova nodded at his conclusion then pointed to the clipboard in his hand.

"You gonna do the rest of those?" she questioned. Nova saw Sunstreaker scan through the items, deeming which ones he was fine with doing.

"Yeah, I'm good. You can take this one though, I don't feel like checking those sugar-filled bowls of corn syrup," he exaggerated, showing her the chore he was referring to.

_5. Make sure no one has spiked the punch bowls, whether it be alcohol or high-grade._

"High-grade? What kind of idiot puts high-grade in human drinks?" Nova asked after squinting at the words.

"Sides is a pretty stupid mech," Sunstreaker offered. "He was stupid enough to put that on the list even though he was probably going to do it anyway."

"Thanks for helping me, Sun-Bun," Nova said graciously as she began to depart. Before she knew Sunny would react to yet another variation of his name, Nova gave him a quick kiss on his cheek.

"Aw, gross," he yelped as she detached herself, finding that she was scurrying to get away. "Tone down on the lip gloss!" Suntreaker hollered after her, trying his very best to get the sticky liquid off his face.

* * *

><p><em>Heheh, just thought I'd end this chappie on a small bonding moment for the two.<em>

**_~Replies~_**

**_DarkAngelMel2: _**_Nova's memory thing with the 'Cons shall pertain to something later in the story, but I am in no position to relay that information so soon ;). I have this whole idea in the works that does have Annabelle and Bonnie becoming the best of friends. I hope you like Prowl's little surprise, the chapter holding his reaction will be one for the history books, indeed. Nova and OP's alone is actually in the next chapter so all you have to do is sit back and relax until it arrives. P.S. Yes, I did get candy—namely Reese's Pieces because those are my favorite—but I updated this chapter quickly so I could get some internet candy from you... sooo... can I have some? *cheeky smile*_

**_Dreaming Out Loud since '98: _**_I would love to PM you but sadly your account settings are not allowing me to do so :(. I wish you could join my school as well, oh the crazy Transformers related things we would obsess over. I forget a lot of things, too, so don't feel bad!_

**_~Don't be a stranger ;D_**


	18. Party? Pranks? Perfect! Pt 5

_What's up guys? New chappie, whoop-de-doop! I'm not particularly proud of this one, it feels a bit rushed to me. Alas, beauty is in the eye of the beholder sooo... Do with that what you will. I must credit Dreaming Out Loud since '98 for inspiring Optimus, Nova, and Leo's... "situation." I say "situation" because I don't want to spoil it for you guys. Also, her OC, Alyssa Morgan is included in that last little bit of the story. I tried my best not to butcher her personality ;D. She's wearing a costume and it looks like this..._

**_http: :/ /. com /Products/Sexy-Washington-Costume-P1007-4 . jpg_**

_I also must credit DarkAngelMel2 for the extended Nova and OP fluff-time. Ask, and you shall receive._

**_Shout Outs!_**

_There is something called The Awesome EightyFour Fiction Challenge by Cairistona and I encourage all y'alls to visit that fic. It is basically little drabbles compiled from various authors around fanfiction and placed into this one as basically a tribute to the year 1984 (when Transformers G1 first came out). You don't have to have Transformers fics or even any fics at all to send this lovely woman your drabbles. It's really fun and if you don't want to write a small, 84 words-only (only 84 because... well you can guess why ;)) drabble, then you can go read the other chapters that people have made. I, myself, have submitted two (yet to be published, though)._

_Another story you should check is Science and Fiction by Faecat and it is absolutely wonderful. The story has gotten very intense and you should really check it out instead of listen to me summarize it because I'm probably going to make it sound bad._

**_If you check these stories out, make sure to tell them who sent ya there, huh ;D._**

**_Alter Ego#3: _**_Taking an awful lot of ideas from people, aren't you?_

**_Me: _**_Hey! They asked for those little tidbits and being the caring person I am, I included it!_

**_Alter Ego#3: _**_Really?_

**_Me:_**_ Okay, okay, so what if I asked them for ideas in the first place? It's perfectly fine! The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, right? (Quoting Spock and Sentinel Prime)._

**_Alter Ego#3: _**_Whatever, **You still don't own Transformers, Hasbro, or those ideas!**_

**_Me: _**_Meanie._

* * *

><p>The bass pounded within the large room, holding the drowned out laughter of N.E.S.T. related humans… and robots. Lyrics belonging to the band on stage swirled around, tickling the eardrums of all the patrons.<p>

"Hey, what's up, Glenn?" Leo asked, heading towards the man who held a lovely plate of hors d'oeuvres.

"Nothing man, just chillin'," he responded, leaning against the wall.

"Those for Maggie?" Leo pointed to the dish he was holding.

"Um, yeah, that's why I'm holding this," Glenn coughed, heating slightly at the inference.

"Man, that's just messed up. Come on, hand it over," he sighed, gesturing for the platter. Leo was a little taken aback when his friend made to guard the plate. "Glenn, not cool. You gotta be strong, dude."

"Hey, don't judge me, man. Who's got the girlfriend here?" Glenn taunted, smirking at Leo's frown. "Yeah, I thought so."

"Whatever, guy. When your heart stops in the middle of making out with her, don't say I didn't warn you," he tsked.

"Dude, there is a line, and you are stepping over it." Glenn drew an imaginary line between them and indicated to it dramatically.

"Fine, fine, I'll back off. But I'm serious about what I said. We're in the military, let's try and represen—Who is that fine mamasita?" Leo drifted, checking out the lady who sauntered in front of him. "That is a nice ass," he muttered to himself. "Hey, man, I'll-I'll see you later," he bid, patting his friend on the shoulder.

"Idiot boy. I can eat whatever I want," Glenn grumbled as he watched Leo walked away, looking regretfully upon his dish. A strong wave of willpower washed over him as he dropped the plate on a nearby table and stalked away.

Leo scanned the area quickly, trying not to lose sight of that beautiful piece of eye candy. He saw her fine legs strutting about six feet away from him. The man ran up to her, silently composing his breathing before speaking up.

"Hey, little mama, I saw you walking by and thought you might wanna have some fun," Leo stated smoothly, strutting backwards in order to face her.

"Fun? Baby, I don't think you can show me anything better than what I've already seen," she teased, seeing how far she could push this guy. With all honesty, he looked kind of cute. Cute in such a way that one would pity him. But, he _was_ the first to approach her all night. Still, that didn't stop her from trying to squeeze the most dignity out of him.

Leo sly smirk dropped as he realized that this wasn't going to be easy. Then again, when it came to women, nothing had ever been easy. He was pretty sure that this was the furthest he's ever gotten from his first line. Leo was not about to let this chance go.

"Girl, don't underestimate all this," he warned, gesturing to all of him. "Fun is my middle name. Hell, I am more fun than Spongebob." Leo mentally slapped himself when those words escaped.

"Oh, I don't know. Spongebob is pretty fun," she sighed, playing with the fringe on her Tootsie roll costume. In her mind, she was making a small plan, quickly running through scenarios. So, what was her next move?

Cat and mouse, definitely.

"Be careful there, baby. Your desperation is showing," she purred near him before slinking away. Much to her pleasure, he began to follow. _Boys are so predictable._

"Come on, chica. Take a walk on the wild side. I know you want to," he tried once more, panting minimally from having to dash in order to catch up.

"Yeah, I do want to," she said, noticing how his expression lifted. "But I don't think you're wild enough."

"Haven't we been through this already?" Leo asked, scanning her body quickly. "Just one dance, please. I am now begging you. Me. _Begging_. You won't regret this," he stated, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Wow, you are desperate," she said, pretending to be unimpressed. "Fine, _one_ dance," the woman enunciated. She let herself be dragged onto the dance floor where they instinctively moved completely in sync.

Leo was feeling pretty good about this dance. This girl even had the biggest smile on her face whenever he slipped up a little. It was like she was feeding off his quirks. With one bold move, he took her arm and spun her around, dipping her low before a quick snap up.

"Whoa, where did you learn that?" she uttered, breathless.

"I told you I was fun," he said huskily near her ear but was surprised when she offered a giggle.

"Don't do that," she slipped through her laughter. "You're cuter when you don't play it up."

"You think I'm cute, huh?" Leo emphasized, bringing her closer while still moving to the beat. "Honey, I don't even know your name."

"Alice," she whispers. The mirthful woman stopped her grinding when she felt Leo pause. "Hey, are you okay?"

"A-Alice?" he gulped. Suddenly, horrible memories flooded to the front of his brain. Namely ones of a crazy robot chick tearing apart his dorm room. "Ay, Dios, ayúdame," he mumbled to himself. "Look, Alice, it's been nice meeting you, and don't get me wrong, you are a wonderful girl, but I just—I… can't."

_Oh, he has got to be kidding._

"Boy, you have got to be kidding," she verbalized with a scoff. "You looked like you were having a pretty damned good time, and now you're turned off because of my _name_?" _Talk about prejudice. _

"No, it's not entirely your name… okay maybe it is. But I've got a good reason. There are some really bad—no, scratch that—there are some really, freaking scary memories that tie along with that name," Leo enunciated, taking a deep breath.

"But, I'm nothing like that other Alice you're talking about, right?" she tried, pouting a little. Alice was not about to be blown off tonight! "I gave _you _a chance, how about you give _me _one?"

"Well…"

"Come on—Um, what was your name?" Alice asked him, mischievously kicking up a new plan.

"Leo, why?"

"Oh, Leo. No wonder you seemed so... boring," she lied quickly, acting as if she were now tired.

"Boring?" he exclaimed, fury building up. "Look here, loca! I am _not_ boring!"

"Then prove it to me!"

Yup, Alice won.

* * *

><p>Nova made her way to the long, blue cloth-covered table with a task in mind. To scope for those who wish to spike the sacred punch bowls. Upon arrival, she saw a couple teenagers snickering with a suspicious brown, paper back.<p>

"Dude, keep a lookout man," one of them whispered.

"I am, I am, just hurry up," they whispered back.

"What to do, what to do…?" Nova muttered to herself, contemplating on whether or not she wanted to have fun. "When will I have a chance like this again?" she finally said, deciding on her decision.

"Quick, give me the bottle—," a guy wearing half a ski mask and fox facial attachments said, pausing when Nova sauntered over. "Why, hello there, miss," he almost whimpered, trying hard not to get caught by hiding the bag behind his back.

"Hey, boys," she addressed all three of them. Ironically, they all dressed similarly except one was a raccoon, another was a badger, and this man was a fox. "What are you three doing here all by yourselves?" she asked impishly, walking closer to the sweating fox.

"Oh, uh, n-nothing," he managed to get out, coughing when his voice cracked.

"I like your costumes, it's cute. Lemme guess," she said with a thoughtful yet bubbly look, tapping a finger to her lip. "You're the brains of this trio," she directed to the fox. "You're the sticky fingers." That was towards the raccoon. "And you are the muscle," she said to the badger.

"Heh, yeah. That's pretty good," the fox said, easing up a little. He could see that she was practically no threat.

"Thanks, I'm cerebral like that. Now, why would a little gang like you be hanging around the punch bowls?" she thought out loud, being obviously oblivious.

"Thank goodness, this chick's an idiot," the badger whispered to the raccoon, earning himself a painful jab in the gut.

"Say, you're pretty good at guessing things, why don't you tell us what we're doing here?" the fox let out charismatically, saving all of their butts.

Nova knew he was smarter than he looked—and that was saying a lot.

"Okay, I'll tell you," she accepted with a smirk. "As of right now, fox, you are hitting on one of the hottest and most powerful girls in this place," she purred in a seductive tone, inching closer to his face. "And you are turning her on," Nova lied, internally puking at her words. She hated being self-righteous almost as much as she hated confessing attractions for disgusting creatures such as these three.

"Oh, am I?" fox said, curling his neck so that they could kiss at any second.

Nova was hot on his trail, making sure to think with split-second timing. As soon as she was close enough, her hand traveled to the small of his back, secretly grabbing the paper bag.

"No, not really," she breathed once she had a good grip on the cargo. Snatching it quickly, Nova backed up and held the bottle to his face. "Busted."

"Crap," fox grumbled, the others following suit. "Should've known not to trust a dame," he spat, still looking her up with greedy eyes.

"Eyes up, buddy. Engaged," she explained, showing her ring.

"That doesn't have to stop us," he snickered, moving closer.

"Leave before I get the cops on you," Nova gasped out at the churlishness of this man. "The nerve of some people," she shuddered to herself. Now, Nova could do what she was assigned to do. Scanning each of the five punch bowls, results showed that only one was spiked. It contained a considerable amount of high-grade which she knew belonged to only one mech. _I'll turn him in later._

Nova called someone to pick up the tainted concoction before anyone could get a hold of it—after she had half a cup, of course. She was also about to go to the bar and drop off the bag she collected when an idea suddenly struck her.

_It wouldn't hurt to have a couple sips, right?_ Nova opened the bag and took a swig as discreetly as she could. After about two or three gulps, she decided to stop, knowing that it wouldn't be a good idea to go any further. Then again, that drink was doing some crazy things to her. She felt great. For some reason, her sensibility was shut down at that point. How it shut down so soon, she wouldn't know, but frag it, Nova didn't care.

_Just a little more… just a little._ In less than a breem, Nova downed at least half the bottle.

"Nova?" Optimus asked, walking up to the tipsy woman. He had come back from checking the entrances and reviewing security cameras. That was supposed to be Prowl's job, but he had left to check the perimeter for some reason.

"Oh, hey, Optim... us. W-what are you… doing here?" she slurred, hiccupping slightly.

"I came to check on you. Are you overcharged?" he inquired, steadying her with two firm hands on her upper arms.

"Heh, nope," she shook her head while popping the "P." "I'm to-o-otally fine," she giggled, stumbling forward and accidently spilling the rest of the contents on Optimus shirt. "Oh, no!" she gasped. "I am so sorry, Optimus. I didn't-didn't mean to spill on you. Oh, let me help you," she mumbled, pulling his shirt off.

"Wait, Nova, no, no, no. You don't need to do that, I'm a holoform, remember?" he whispered, eyeing the people around them cautiously.

"Holo-what?" Nova asked, curious as to why he didn't want to get the wet shirt off. "No, you're going to get sick unless this comes off," she persisted, already tugging it away. Unfortunately, the second the shirt lost contact with Optimus, it phased out into thin air. Nova watched the shirt disappear and laid optics back onto the man in front of her. Except, in her off-balance state of mind, she was looking at an incredibly ripped stranger.

"Whoa," was all Nova said when she got a good look at all the muscles. "Hey, you're not Optimus. Where'd he go?" she slurred, looking around. "Optimus! Get this man a shirt!" she called to no one in particular.

"Nova, I _am_ Optimus," he sighed, holding back his chuckle at her drunken antics.

"Primus, you even sound like him," she giggled. "No, you're not Optimus. He looks like this." Nova pointed to the decals of her costume. "And he usually says witty one-liners like, 'Give me your face,'" she mimicked, dropping her voice to sound like him. "He told me that he was about to tell that to the guard at the gate once, wh-when he pissed Prime off." Nova scanned this man in front of her intensely. Primus, he looked like someone she knew, but who? "Do you spy on us?" she blurted randomly, "Because you have that same exact scar on your chest like Optimus does. Come to think of it, you even feel the same," Nova stated, poking around him. "Hey," she gasped, "are you that weird shadow in our room that's always there whenever Optimus and I have se—Whoa!"

"Okay, that's it, you're drunk," he interrupted her by lifting her up, not wanting any eavesdropping to be done.

"No, I am not!" Nova repeated. "Don't hold me like this, only Optimus can, and he's going to bite your head off when he finds out you've been manhandling me," she huffed, crossing her arms.

Optimus sighed and quickly tried to find the shortest route outside the party. Gasps and swoons where heard as he walked past multiple women. A couple even had the audacity to either touch his muscles or feel his aft. _Humans are crazy._

Once away at a safe distance, he sat down against the wall in an abandoned hallway, Nova in his lap.

"I have to go. Optimus will be looking for me," Nova whined, struggling to get out. A hand covered her optics for a second before letting go and revealing her fiancé in front of her. "Optimus, when did you get here?" she sang. The femme promptly dropped her smile and put on a face of concentration. "Where did that imposter go? I think he watches us in the bedroom," she whispered sloppily into his ear. "Hey, what happened to your shirt?"

"You took it off, remember?" he answered, not being able to hold back the soft chuckle that escaped.

"Whatever, it's better than your other costume..."

"... Other costume?..."

"At least now you look like that kid from T-Twilight. Except you're really, really buff," she giggled.

Optimus had to laugh as well. She was such a crazy femme when she was overcharged. He gasped suddenly when he felt her trace a finger over the scar in the middle of his chest, the one Megatron gave him.

"How'd you get this scar? You never told me," Nova hummed to herself, brushing a lithe finger over it.

_She's going to forget this anyway,_ Optimus reasoned to himself_, Why not?_

"Remember when Megatron told you he killed me?" he started, both shuddering from the words. A small "Mm-hmm" was heard and he continued. "Well, he stabbed me right here, from the back."

"It doesn't hurt, does it?" Nova asked, dipping her head down to plant a gentle kiss on it. "There, all better, now."

"Thank you, I needed that," he breathed, kissing her on top if her head as she leaned against his shoulder.

A couple breems passed by while the two were conversing. Or, more like, Nova was babbling and Optimus was just agreeing with her.

"What are you two doing here? And why do you not have a shirt?" Ratchet asked as he just so happened to walk by.

"She's overcharged," Optimus relayed.

"Slaggit," Ratchet grumbled. He knew that if she was overcharged, it could strain her already weak systems. Had there been no previous damage to her body, he would've let this go. The medic gave a feeble scan; feeble considering that he was in his holoform. "Based on Nova's history, she should be stable in about ten minutes. She's blessed that her immune system is relatively strong."

"Well, that's good to hear. At least she won't miss her performance, later."

"Femme's too lucky for her own good," the medic harrumphed.

"Why are you feeling oddly animus towards her?" Optimus asked, gently shooing away her hand that was about to tug on Ratchet's pant leg.

"She took my wrenches," he almost whined childishly. The medic glared at his leader when Optimus gave a soft chuckle.

He sucked in his breath when he met Ratchet's glare. Optimus offered a sheepish smile before Ratchet left them to whatever it was they were doing.

Both Nova's and Optimus' legs were pulled closely to their chests while hers were across his waist so she was basically straddling him sideways.

"What crawled up his aft and died?" Nova whispered as she watched Ratchet walk away.

"His youth," Optimus blurted before thinking about it.

"Heard that!" Ratchet replied, his voice echoing through the abandoned hallway.

"Slag, he's going to find a wrench and throw it at me," Optimus whispered in Nova's ear.

"Stop that, it tickles," she giggled, bending her neck down in the same fashion Bonnie does when someone tickles her there.

"Oh, what? This?" he whispered again, nibbling slightly on her earlobe.

"Yes, that, now stop it," she whimpered, putting an unstable hand over his mouth, which he began to kiss as well, tickling her more. "Ah, stop!" Nova laughed heartily.

"No, you laugh too melodiously," he mumbled into her neck.

"Fine, I'll stop laughing," she huffed, covering her mouth with both her hands.

_Challenge accepted,_ Prime thought to himself. He started by first blowing into her ear, seeing how she would scrunch up her nose. After that seemed to lead to nowhere, Optimus kissed under her earlobe. He laughed silently as she flinched away. A finger traced down her bare arm, causing goose bumps to trail after it.

A snort erupted from behind Nova's hands and she glared as best she could at him. She caught sight of his puckish grin and felt something pang in her spark. _Primus, he looks so cute._

"What are you thinking?" he rumbled when he felt that same tug through their semi-bond.

She scanned his face with a look that could mistakenly be interrupted into hurt or fright. It was more like an overwhelmed expression through her perspective. Before Optimus could react to her silence, she spoke.

"Kiss me," Nova whispered.

"Sorry, I cannot. At least, not when you're like this," he told her. Prime didn't want to take advantage of her like this.

It would be so dirty.

"Why not? I'll be okay. I just wanna be closer to you," she murmured, tracing up his neck with her nose.

A shiver ran through his spine, but he reluctantly pushed the feeling away.

"No, no, you are intoxicated, you're not in your right mind," he said, slurring slightly from almost succumbing to temptation. A sudden shift from the mass on top of him made his optics flicker open. Nova was now actually straddling him.

"That shouldn't stop you." She shook her head with closed lids.

"How so?"

"I'm your fiancé and mate, it doesn't matter if I'm int-intoxicated or not," Nova reasoned, peeking a little to see if he was buying it.

"It's not right to take domain over you like this. I know you wouldn't be too ecstatic when I've had the pleasure that you're going to forget," he hummed with a doe-eyed look. Yeah, he picked _now_ to be a gentleman. _Frag, her skirt is so short—No, what am I saying? I can't do this._

"No, uh-uh. Optimus," she started with a surprisingly stable voice. "Do you see this ring on my finger?"

"Yes, and it looks beautiful on you."

"Thank you. Anyway, this means that I can do whatever I want, whenever I want, with you, no matter what," she spoke with droopy lids, dipping in to inhale the object of her affection.

"You're going to be mad at me later," he rumbled when her lips hovered over his.

"Not my problem, silly man," she teased, closing the gap. Her processor was stable by now and she could think correctly. With that said, she knew that come morning time, a headache the size of Cybertron was going to squash her like a bug.

Okay, if Nova was going to get her kiss, then by Primus, Optimus was going to do his best to not let it go too far. She would truly be angered if it did, and she wouldn't recollect a thing.

The femme was starting to understand his hesitation. Since she was already up and well, his lack of exuberance was practically killing her. Nova disconnected their lips and rested her forehead onto his.

"You know, Optimus, when your processor is screwed up as much as mine is, it opens up a lot of new abilities. One of those abilities is, ironically, being able to remember what happened before, during, and after the state of drunkenness," she informed with a hint of edge.

"You… remember all of it?" he gasped minutely.

"Yeah," she said in a bit of an offended tone. "It's sweet that you would try and hold back for me, I appreciate it, but next time, don't. I stand by what I said earlier. This ring entitles me to all of this," Nova gestured to him, "24/7."

"You are just adorable when you barter," he chuckled at her.

"And you are just adorable, period. You can see why I kinda want you to kiss me, huh?"

Optimus agreed and slowly began to push forward so he could connect their lips, only to have Nova brush lightly against his and pull away.

"Tut-tut, you don't get anymore. See that? That was your chance, and it flew away. This is payback for fragging tickling me," she relayed, poking a finger to him before standing up and walking away.

"Where are you going?" Optimus called after her, watching the way her curves moved as she sauntered away.

"As far away from you as possible. I am pissed, Prime, _pissed!_" In reality, she was traveling to the control room behind the stage so they could prepare for the presentation. How she was going to do that without puking or passing out… Well…

* * *

><p>Prowl walked along the outer edges of all three hangars, as requested by Nova. He hadn't the slightest clue why those three girls were acting completely crazy earlier, but he knew that it should never happen again. The mech took his time in his meandering, though never dropping his guard. The night was beautiful and there was a hint of the slightest breeze. Just how he liked it.<p>

Apparently, he was more caught up in his daydreaming than he realized because Prowl accidently bumped into a giggling woman who had stumbled out of a random door.

"Oops, oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to fall out of there like that," she apologized to him, wiping the illusory dust off of his shoulders. Her gaze quickly—though unintentionally—scanned Prowl head to toe. _Oh my… _"Hi, my name's Morgan—I mean Alyssa! Alyssa Morgan," she stated abruptly, sticking her hand out promptly for a shake. Alyssa could've burned from the blush that appeared on her face. _I sound like such a tool! _she scolded herself.

"Hello, Alyssa," Prowl returned politely, taking her hand for a moment. He remembered when Nova was telling him about common courtesy in different regions of the world. Here, it was shaking hands. "I am Prowl, security for tonight. You should know that you are not allowed in this area of the military base," he informed with a straight face.

"Oh, oh of course," she started stuttering slightly, ending with a loud and unintentional chortle. _Why did he have to be so cute?_ "It was an accident, I assure you… Prowl." Alyssa tested out his name… it sounded nice on her tongue. She began to wonder what else would sound nice on her tongu—_Whoa! I am not thinking that!_

"Then you should know that these doors lock from the inside," he insinuated minimally.

"No dip, Sherlock," she scoffed sarcastically, still gazing into his electric, blue eyes.

"And I have no key," he coughed.

After two awkward seconds of thinking, Alyssa let out an almost embarrassing "Oohhh!"

"Well, this is interesting," she squeaked silently, looking away to find an entrance.

"It certainly is," Prowl commented. This woman was very different from the others he had observed tonight. But how exactly, he didn't know. "If you don't mind, I can walk you back to the nearest entrance. It's a little over a two-mile walk from here but my car is parked about halfway there," he calculated, finding the shortest route that would reveal the least of the base. Most of the doors were locked tightly. It made sure no one could be able to get in, even if they were the best hacker in the world.

"That sounds fine, I've got good company," she spoke smoothly, thanking her lucky stars that it sounded much cooler out loud than in her head.

Prowl was glad that she would enjoy a leisurely walk with him. He was also glad that he moved himself to a closer spot than the heart of the base before he found this woman. If not, then they would have to walk all the way over there considering he would need to dismiss his holoform in order to move his alt-form.

The mech expected for this walk to be done in a mutual silence. Well…

He _expected_ it to be.

"So, are you wearing your costume or are you seriously just a cop?" Alyssa asked, thinking of anything to get the ball rolling.

Being the gentleman he is, Prowl answered in a well-mannered way.

"It is a costume, though apparently, according to my comrade, it's not creative enough."

"Being at a military-hosted, Halloween party, most guys just wore the usual army greens or navy blues. Some of them are actually wearing their uniforms. Trust me, compared to them, you're probably the most creative one here," she told him, babbling nervously. _Shut up, Alyssa!_

"It would seem the most logical strategy considering it would both save money and time," he alleged.

"But is it worth the social decline? The disappointment of your friends when you show up to a party with work clothes?" Alyssa countered expertly.

The mech was starting to enjoy her company. It had been a while since he had someone to talk off of. Usually, the others would stare into space or zone out when he began talking. Most had the decency to at least pretend they knew what he was saying. He especially enjoyed the small hint of a Irish accent in her voice—granted it was hard to detect to the normal ear, but Prowl didn't really have a normal ear, now did he?

"That depends on who your peers are. Based on their personality, you could easily pick out the pros and cons of not wearing a costume." The ends of his lips began to curl into a small smile as they pushed ideas back and forth. Sometime during the walk, he deliberately slowed down just so he could converse with her some more.

Alyssa had begun to walk slightly in front of him, giving Prowl the opportunity to see what her costume was. It was a white, mid-thigh dress with ruffles on the skirt to give it volume. A blue, felt petticoat with golden buttons draped over her. A late 1700s, tri-corn hat donned proudly upon her head. He quickly referenced Earth's internet—a feat that needed a lot of energy to do with the exception of both Ratchet and Optimus, who had a special program installed—and placed her into a category of an early 1800s soldier.

"Who is your costume supposed to resemble?" he asked her after quickly cutting his internet connection to preserve any energy he had left.

"Can't you tell?" she scoffed, jumping in front of him with her hands in fists on her hips. Alyssa puffed her chest up in what most would consider the hero pose, staring onto the horizon for added effect. "I… am George Washington!" she declared in as deep of a voice her female vocals could manage.

"If you were trying to dress up like those military men, you are an era too late," he stated, trying—and failing—to hold back a smirk.

"Hardy-hardy-har," she muttered, shaking her head at him. "If I wanted to dress like those guys, I would've worn my brother's uniform. He's certainly got the figure."

The small giggle she let out after her sentence was wonderfully infectious, Prowl couldn't help but smile. A particularly cold breeze rushed past them, causing the woman in front to shiver slightly.

"Ooh, that wind's a bitter one," she shivered, hugging herself. Suddenly, a warm set of arms wrapped around her own arms and hugged around her middle. "P-Prowl?"

"You are cold and it may be detrimental to your health if your core temperature drops any lower," he claimed in a single tone, not wanting her to hear the giddiness in his voice. It was the perfect excuse to get closer.

The two talked about a lot of things on their way to the car. Most of it had to do with what N.E.S.T. actually did—those questions were narrowly dodged by Prowl—or what each other's life was like outside of the party. Other topics were more frivolous things that didn't really affect life such as: is tomato a fruit or a vegetable? If so, then wouldn't ketchup be a smoothie?

They were a few steps from the Prowl's "Car" and Alyssa was freaking tired. She was already in his arms because her heels hurt her like fire nipping slowly on her raw flesh would.

"Hey, is that your car?" she asked, pointing to the small form that was beginning to come up.

"Yes, it… is?" Prowl could tell it was him but what threw the mech off was that he had a slightly different color scheme. No, that couldn't be him, never! Once the vehicle was in a clear view, Prowl more or less broke himself.

"Um, are you okay?" Alyssa asked, ignoring the fact that she was in the presence of a beautiful Lamborghini. Well, the paint kind of ruined it, but the body was still nice.

Prowl put her down onto her feet and stood still with a stoic expression. "Forgive me, Alyssa," he uttered before collapsing.

She gave a small squeak of surprise when he fell. The woman knelt down and tried to wake him up but ended scooting backwards when he mysteriously disappeared. It's official, she was clearly insane.

So what's a crazy person who just saw a man vaporize into thin air supposed to do?

Faint, of course.

* * *

><p><em>Oh me, oh my. You guys want to hear the best part about this chapter? It's the second to last part to the "Party? Pranks? Perfect!" series. Gosh, I really stretched that out didn't I? Yikes. I was just reviewing my future chapters and I can see that the end may also be pushed back (due to the unexpected multitude of this party). Since I don't feel like lying to you guys about when the chapter will end, expect it to be not for a while... just soon. <em>

**_I put up a poll on my profile! Please answer it because I'm curious as to what most of my readers read upon. (You'll get it when you see it)._**

**_~Replies~_**

**_DarkAngelMel2: _**_Prowl was clearly more comfortable with this girl than the other crazy wackos he's forced to call friends. The prank result will be after the next chapter and I hope I made it as priceless as it could be (I'm honestly not a pranker at heart, though the pranks I have done concluded pretty well, I just never done a big scale prank such as this). Here's your Optiva (Novamus?) conversation. Sadly, it was less coherent than most, but I promise I will make up for it *sly wink*. P.S. I'll make sure to give the egg duo (egg because Sunny Side up-style breakfast is appropriate for this situation) your number. It shall contribute greatly to their bet!_

**_Dreaming Out Loud since '98: _**_I just could not drop the small elephant situation we had... So I put it in the story! BTW here's Leo's girl. When you said you wanted the name Alice originally, I almost choked because if that were true, the Prowl thing would be a bit awkward. P.S. I am merely borrowing your OC, please, by all means, she is rightfully yours so put her in whatever story it is you have in mind!_

**_~Don't be a stranger ;D_**


	19. Party? Pranks? Perfect! Pt 6

_Yikes! Five long chapters of non-stop party, party, party and now it all ends. Gahhh! Anywhoozles, after this chapter it's going to go straight to the rest of the plot. Or more like descending into a semi-steep angle until it reaches the plot, but you get the idea._

_**Alter Ego#3: **Shut up already!_

_**Me: **Gee, I'm just tryna tell them what's up. Don't hate._

_**Alter Ego#3: **I still hear talking!_

_**Me: **I still hear an idiot!_

_**Alter Ego#3: ****You're just jealous because you don't anything.**_

_**Me: **Ouch.  
><em>

* * *

><p>Nova no longer had any time to spare as she made her way backstage. The presentation itself was a little tribute for the families of N.E.S.T. soldiers. Once she stepped foot into the little control room, her mind clicked into Military Commander Mode: Musical Technician Edition.<p>

"All right, ladies, let's get this party started. Matthew, keep your eye on that equalizer, we don't want a repeat of what happened an hour ago. Alicia, get the video ready. Johnson, keep a steady hand on that spotlight when you get up there. Speaking of which, you should've been there five minutes ago! Hustle, hustle!" The busy, little femme barked out orders like it was going out of style, directing with pointed fingers and angled shouts.

"For the love of Primus, get that soda out of here! One wrong move and it's on your aft, Stevens. Rocky, make sure you hit your cue when the screen—," Nova trailed off when she saw a certain figure passing by the small controls room.

"Uh, um, Rock, you know what to do," she muttered absently, walking outside to see what the frag this figure wanted. She was still kind of mad, although Nova could never really hate him.

As she made her way to Optimus, a very tall and curvy woman sauntered in front of her. She was dressed as the cartoon character of Jessica Rabbit, and in Nova's honest opinion, she pulled the costume off exceptionally.

The femme ducked behind a stack of folded chairs and listened to the conversation that was occurring.

"Hey, big boy. What's a soldier like you doing all alone in this party?" she asked in an enticing voice.

Optimus was looking wide-eyed at this woman and glanced occasionally to the snickering femme behind the chairs. This was some sort of test, he knew it. Ironhide often told him about these mythical tests that femmes would occasionally give their mechs, just to prove their loyalty. The avowed Autobot always scoffed at his cannon-totting friend from the absurdity of such tests; now he felt like an idiot.

Nova wanted to see just how smooth her charismatic leader was. She took up a leisurely stance, making sure he knew that he was in deep slag, as she prepared to witness the train wreck about to happen. _This is going to be fun._

"What's wrong, baby? Cat got your tongue? Well, I envy that cat," she breathed, advancing closer to him.

Little did Optimus know, he had been stuttering at this lady during his moment of complete processor malfunction. _Never again will I upset my femme,_ he repeated in his mind as a punishment.

_Say something ya goof!_ Nova thought to herself. She even made a small gesture to him that said, "Go on, talk to her." Revenge is sweet.

"I'm sorry, miss. I'm actually waiting for someone," he finally broke the silence with.

"She won't mind," the red-haired lady murmured, easily closing the gap between them.

Nova started pitying her mech and decided to step in sometime soon. Although, whether she was going to help him or not still remained vague.

"Quite the contrary. It's a proven fact that she _will_ mind," Optimus answered, trying not to sweat under the pressure.

"Oh, come on, a man like you should know what it feels like to play the field."

"I don't see what playing sports has to do with—," Optimus stopped himself with a tingly shudder.

Jessica Rabbit, as Nova thus dubbed her as, began to trace a lithe finger onto Optimus shoulder. Nova wouldn't have minded if it were for the fact that he wasn't doing slag about it.

"See, you do like it. And that's just a little taste. Wait 'til you get the full experience," Jessica giggled saucily, biting her bottom lip.

"I'm sorry, but I must ask you to refrain. Currently, I'm trying to get on my fem—fiancé's good side, considering I messed up horribly, and I don't know how I will ever apologize to that _glorious, vuloptious, one-of-a-kind , funny, resourceful_ woman," he obviously directed to Nova while still looking as if he were talking to the lady in front of him. Optimus caught a glance at his hiding dearspark and saw that she was shaking her head with an embarrassed smirk.

As much as she would like to deny it, Nova thought his apology was cute. Pit, it was downright _adorable!_ All was forgiven, no questions about it. Now… what to do with this pest between them?

"Excuse me, miss? Um, what are you doing?" Nova asked casually as she left her makeshift refuge.

"I'm doing business, kid, step aside," she offered gruffly, yet she never broke her smile. In fact, she made that sentence sound like she was purring more than anything else.

_Kid? _Nova put on a look that seemed as if she was physically struck. She looked at Optimus to do something, as it was obvious she wanted to see what he _could _do.

"Actually, this was the person I was wait—"

"Nova, you're up!" a stagehand called, interrupting Optimus' sentence.

The femme gave him a shrug that said, "Sorry, you're on your own."

"No, Nova, don't… go," he dropped once she dashed off.

"Well, now that we're finally alone," the woman in front of her growled seductively.

_Primus help me._

* * *

><p>Nova hopped onto the stage, battery pack secured snuggly on her back, and caught the attention of the entire hangar.<p>

"Hello, friends and family, I hope you guys have had a wonderful night so far," she said in a peppy way, earning a bunch of cheers that sprinkled its way around the crowed. "But sadly, all good things must come to an end." A couple "Boo's" and "Aw's" resonated through the hangar.

"So before all of you go home, a select few soldiers have collaborated on an entire collage of the great times we shared with each other. Even though we're here, far away from home, our soldiers make it a priority to find the best in every situation. Yes, there are losses, but even they sought out the best of everything, which is what we're doing tonight. Tonight, we focus on today. If you all would so kindly turn your attention to the screen."

The lights onstage dim a little and pictures start playing on the screen. Nova took the cue and started the song.

_Let's dance in style,__  
><em>_Let's dance for a while,__  
><em>_Heaven can wait we're only watching the skies__  
><em>_Hoping for the best but expecting the worst,__  
><em>_Are you gonna drop the bomb or not?__  
><em>

The images on the screen portrayed both the living and the departed, but each and every one of those pixels had one thing in common; those people were happy. It didn't matter that they looked tired and beaten down by the sun, those single moments of time held pure joy.

_Let us die young or let us live forever,__  
><em>_We don't have the power but we never say never,__  
><em>_Sitting in a sandpit,__  
><em>_Life is a short trip,__  
><em>_The music's for the sad man,_

_Forever young,__  
><em>_I wanna be forever young__  
><em>_Do you really want to live forever?__  
><em>_Forever and ever__  
><em>_Forever young I wanna be__  
><em>_Forever young__  
><em>_Do you really want to live forever?__  
><em>

Nova looked up at the screen as she was singing and caught glimpse of a single photo, one that choked her slightly. It was one of her greatest friends.

_Forever, forever_

It was Riku.

Jazz took over once the chorus ended. He walked up to the inwardly crying femme and wrapped an arm around her waist as a sign of comfort.

_So we live a life like a video__  
><em>_When the sun is always out and you never get old__  
><em>_And the champagne's always cold__  
><em>_And the music is always good__  
><em>_And the pretty girls just happen to stop by in the hood__  
><em>

He knew she wasn't sad, she was just remembering the good times.

_And they hop their pretty ass up on the hood of that pretty ass car__  
><em>_Without a wrinkle in today__  
><em>_'Cause there is no tomorrow__  
><em>_Just some picture perfect day__  
><em>_To last a whole lifetime_

One of the pictures, Jazz knew of fondly. It was his silver alt-mode hanging by a single tire on a surprisingly sturdy cord that was primarily used for the humans' training. A bunch of the human females—and their very own femmes—thought it would be a great idea to stop training and take his picture right on the spot.

_And it never ends__  
><em>_'Cause all we have to do is hit rewind__  
><em>_Leave a mark that can't erase neither space nor time__  
><em>_So when the director yells cut,__  
><em>

A video clip played in the montage. It was being filmed by Sideswipe and he was just walking around the mess hall spraying the groggiest of soldiers with a water-filled spray bottle. The soldiers took it all as an act of fun until Sides sprayed Ratchet with the bottle. The video ended up with the camera finding its way into Skids' hands and Ratchet dumping a water bottle on the poor mech.

_I'll be fine,__  
><em>_I'm forever young..._

Nova took up the chorus once more with an almost painful grin on her face from the last clip. It took all her will power not to laugh while singing.

_Forever young,__  
><em>_I wanna be forever young__  
><em>_Do you really want to live forever?__  
><em>_Forever and ever_

The next string of videos were other soldiers playing small pranks on each other, something one would do to stir up some fun in the monotonous life of a N.E.S.T. soldier—when they weren't out battling Decepticons, of course.

_Fear not when, fear not why,__  
><em>_Fear not much while were alive,__  
><em>_Life is for living not living up tight,__  
><em>_See ya somewhere up in the sky,__  
><em>

There was a particular clip that caught Nova's optic. It was a dim sky, lit only by the full moon and neighboring stars. Optimus and she were just out there on the hood of his alt-mode, talking about nothing and everything. The two girls behind the camera began to snicker and as they turned it around, it revealed Mizuki and Arcee's holoform saying something along the lines of, "They're so cute!" That particular clip got a few scattered laughs in the audience as well as a burning blush from Nova.

_Fear not die, I'll be alive for a million years, bye bye,__  
><em>_So not for legends, I'm forever young__  
><em>_Our names shall survive__  
><em>_Through the darkest blocks, over kitchen stoves,__  
><em>_Over Pyrex pots, our names shall be passed down to generations__  
><em>_While debating up in barber shops _

The next video was a member of the kitchen staff and it was during a particularly busy lunch schedule. Behind the camera, Nova's voice could be heard.

'Soldier, get your act into gear!' her voice stated in mock authority, muffled slightly by the clangs and clunks of kitchen utensils.

'I would, ma'am, but my arms just aren't strong enough,' the man on the video, who was also speaking like a mock subordinate, strained.

'Yes they are, now come on boy! Your country needs you!' Nova huffed with fake aggressiveness. The man on the video was holding two trays on each arm which were fully loaded with an assortment of food. He was reaching out for something but it wasn't evident until a small click was heard.

'Now, wasn't that easy?' Nova chirped, her tone returning to its normal self.

'It would've been way easier of _you_ just pushed the lever on the toaster, Nova,' he said, rolling his eyes.

'Well, that wouldn't be fun at all.'

_Young slung, hung here,__  
><em>_Shorty, the homey from here__  
><em>_With a little ambition just what we can become here,__  
><em>_And as the father passed his story down to his sons ears,__  
><em>_Younger kid, younger every year, yeah__  
><em>

A few pictures were the children of the N.E.S.T. families. Bonnie and Annabelle were the ones that appeared the most. The audience erupted in synchronized "Aw's" as the children's picture cycled through.

_So if you love me, baby, this is how you let me know.__  
><em>_Don't ever let me go, that's how you let me know, baby_

Nova sang the last lines of the song and made sure that it made an impact on everyone who had attended.

_Forever young I wanna be__  
><em>_Forever young__  
><em>_Do you really want to live forever?__  
><em>_Forever, forever_

As the song ended, the lights gradually picked up until it was at its maximum capacity. The families were escorted out and the night finally ended… for the civilians. The party hosts, however, were charged with clean-up duty. And yes, it was necessary, even though it was three in the morning.

"Sides, next time you throw a party, don't ask me to help you," Nova kidded as she folded away the tables and helped Jolt stack chairs.

"But you know you enjoyed it, right?" he prodded, nudging her ribs with his elbow.

"I must admit, that was really fun. Then again, you try running around in these," she stated, throwing her heels at an unsuspecting Sideswipe.

"Hey, whoa, that is a safety hazard, young lady," he reprimanded, wagging a finger at her.

"So is slipping high-grade in the punch, idiot," she grumbled, lazily picking up her shoes that he had flung back at her.

"What? Are you crazy, femme?" he started, overacting his hurt emotions.

"I'm not stupid, Sides. It was the brand that you always have in your secret stash," she mumbled, slowing going into sleep mode.

"How do you know what brand it was?" he asked smugly, now knowing that she had some. He also now knew who had been stealing from his stash. _Not very secret anymore._

"So you're not denying that you spiked it?" she countered wisely, even though half her processor was already recharging.

"Oh, go make out with Prime," he retorted, not wanting to lose to a femme—a femme who's in a zombie-like state, no less.

"You'd like that wouldn't you, you perverted mech," she chuckled, handing the last of the chairs to Jolt.

"You know, you two are very entertaining," he informed with a breathy laugh.

"Glad someone's enjoying it," Nova murmured, stretching her arms up. "Well, that's it for me. I'm gonna leave you guys to… whatever," she said, gesturing to the rest of the mess. "Goodnight, Jolt. Sides." Nova gave them both quick hugs before slipping painful her shoes off and walking back to her room.

She had to pass the main hangar, where most of the alt-modes would be idle at this time—unless they left to go to their respective hangars—in order to get to her quarters. She knew that Bonnie was in Bumblebee's care at the time and that she'd be there for the rest of the night. Or more like day since sunrise was only at least three hours from now.

Upon reaching the hangar, she saw that it was completely devoid of any cars whatsoever… well, except one.

"Someone looks tired," the Peterbilt rumbled, pulling slowly up to the wobbly techno-organic.

"Yeah, well," she stated vaguely.

"I'm guessing you forgot your little promise," he said, transforming to his full height and holding out a finger to support her.

"Promise?" she thought out before transforming, herself. It took her a grand total of two awkward minutes to remember. "Oh, Optimus, our dance," she spoke dejectedly, unintentionally pulling her lips to a pout. "I'm sorry, Sides has got me so busy and the tribute thing… I guess I must've lost track of time." Nova rested her head onto his broad chest as she let the weariness of the night drop.

"It's okay, I planned for this to happen," he informed cheekily.

"What do you mean?" she smirked, straightening her back so that her head was level to his chest. Well… barely.

Optimus didn't answer her. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her waist and played a song from his radio. More importantly, he played _their_ song, 1,2,3,4 (by The Plain White T's).

Nova didn't protest as she swayed in time with him. Optimus was often a cheesy mech; a cheesy, cheeky, overprotective mech, but he was _her _mech all the same, and that's all she really cared for. Her thoughts danced around them as the song progressed.

"Optimus?" she squeaked softly.

"Mm?" he rumbled, massaging small circles onto whatever wires were exposed with his thumb.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

A moment of silence passed before Nova spoke up again.

"Optimus?"

"Yes, dearspark?"

"I want to bond."

Optimus' spark almost stopped from her words. She was asking the very thing he has wanted ever since he laid optic on her. But for some reason, he began to feel very nervous.

"You… want to bond?" he reiterated, making sure he heard correctly.

"Yes, we've waited long enough, the war is slowing down, and my spark is aching for you," Nova reasoned, standing on the tips of her toes to place a kiss on his jaw line. She felt him freeze next to her, his internal whirrings suddenly picking up in volume. "Are you okay, Optimus? We don't have to do this now. I can wait," Nova started, brushing a hand over his cheek plate.

"No, no, I just—um… I want to, don't get me wrong. I just wasn't expecting you to be so… _spontaneous_ with it," he relayed hesitantly.

"You can't rush love, nor can you stall it," the femme hummed, wrapping her arms tightly around him. "So is that a yes or a no?" She didn't get an immediate response from him, making her worry slightly. Nova turned her helm towards him to check if he was having doubts but was instantaneously picked up, lips crashing onto hers.

It was a yes.

Optimus kissed hungrily at her plates, emitting miniscule, electric shocks from the pulses he was sending over towards her. He made his way to their quarters—correction—he _stumbled_ his way to their quarters. Apparently, basic motor skills are hard to control when you interacting with a gift sent from Primus, himself.

The mere passion they both had resulted in a few crashes with concrete walls when turning corners. Luckily, they had not attracted anyone's attention. Not yet. But the Optimus-sized craters were sure to be noticed come morning time.

Once the two stumbled into their shared quarters, there was no more room for doubts or second thoughts.

This was it.

* * *

><p><em>Yeah, no smuts for you guys. Tut-tut. But hey, after two books and three oneshots... Optiva is now a thing! (By that I mean that they are now sparkmates.) Talk about dragging it out, huh?<em>

_**May I haz youse attentions? **I have uploaded a picture of Nova on my profile. Yay? Yes, I did draw it so that would explain the horribleness. It's _very_ rough, so please bear with me. She is missing the Autobot insignia, but it was too late to place it on her (it goes atop her forehead). While you're at my profile, check out my poll! Yep, it's still there... waiting. I'm probably going to take it down on November 24th *cough* my birthday which also happens to be on the same day as Thanksgiving (American holiday) this year *cough*. (See how subtle that was? Amazing, right?) If only my readers could give me a super awesome present on that day like, say, oh I don't know, a review from every person that actually reads my crud (it doesn't even have to be long or about the story. "Happy birthday" or "hi" is still cool). I guess I just have to wait for that future date when I post that future chapter and check for those future people who may or may not write future reviews..._

_**~Replies~**_

_**DarkAngelMel2: **To be frank with you, I wasn't going to include Leo in any future chapters, but since you asked I thought, why not? Glenn was very strong at that moment, his girlfriend was more important than his frivolous whims. The shirtless Optimus scene was the funnest scene I have ever written. It took all my willpower to not drool upon my keyboard. Sorry, Prowl will not have any love interests for this story. I have way to many plot holes I have to fill and the story is ending soon so... But maybe his little crush might appear in my next story ;). I apologize for making you fall in love with more Autobots, it's a curse bestowed upon me. Out of curiosity (and pure, girlish gossipy-ness) who is your Autobot crush? :D._

_**Dreaming Out Loud since '98: **Haha, so glad you loved the last chapter! Your character was fun to write. It's okay that you gave a short review, at least you review at all (of that, I am grateful). I understand being short on time, sucks, huh?_

_**~Don't be a stranger ;D**  
><em>


	20. The Day After

_Hey, hi, hello there! Not much to say here except I will post a chapter this Thursday _and_ this weekend. To those of you who don't get the significance of that, it simply means twice the chapters this week, just because it's my birthday week! There are a few terms that I'm going to sprinkle throughout my story and they belong to WishUponAStar1015. They are lalaith and adair which is basically mom and dad. Thanks WishUponAStar1015 for your words! You guys should read her fic A Spark's Desire, it's beautifully written. _

_Remember that story by Cairistona? Well, I submitted a chapter of my own and you can read it if y'alls like. It is chapter 59 and 61. All right, I think that's pretty much—_

_**Alter Ego#2: She doesn't own anything! **Okay, let's read the story now!_

_**Me: **Well... Eager much? One more thing, the name in this story belongs to one of my readers/reviewers. Here's what you get for being cool!  
><em>

* * *

><p>"Six, seven, and eight!" Sideswipe exclaimed, slamming the eighth scrap of paper onto a brown table. Those eight little notes contained scribbles of what appeared to be women's numbers. "Beat that, Sunny," he huffed in triumph.<p>

"Fine, I will. Fourteen!" Sunstreaker taunted, placing the last scrap in the same manner as his brother.

"What? That's a lie!" he replied with, shuffling through the pile of papers to double-check. "That's not fair, I was busy doing host related stuff last night," Sideswipe complained, trying to get out of his tough spot.

"No, no, brother dear. I was just as busy as you were, _and_ I took the list that you gave to Nova. Trying to get her to do all our dirty work, aren't ya?" he smirked, flopping down on a chair with obvious mirth.

"Hah! You only got thirteen!" Sides blurted randomly, still searching his brother's loot. "This one doesn't count; it's not a real name." He waved the sliver of yellow, note paper wildly in front of Sunstreaker's nose.

"'DarkAngelMel2,'" Sunny read, squinting his optics. "Sides, that could mean anything. And besides, you have the same number in your pile." A finger was pointed towards a similar looking scrap in the opposing clutter.

"Gasp, we've been duped. Guess that means the bet's off, oh well," Sideswipe said quickly, dropping his holoform in order to leave the room before Sunny could say anything about it. Which was stupid since they had a bond, but the effort counts for something, right?

Sunstreaker was expecting his brother to flee, being the mech that he is. He dropped his holoform as quick as Sides did and expertly caught up to him, grabbing his scruff bar to stop the retreat.

"Nope. I win, you lose, end of story. Now, I get to choose your alt-form for the next month. Kiss your Lamborghini aft goodbye," Sunstreaker chuckled darkly before turning to exit outside. The yellow mech stumbled upon something that he was not expecting to at the least. "Hey, Sides, get over here!"

"What—? Aw, Pit." Sideswipe stared at the odd sight for a minute before speaking. "You think he's dead?"

"Wishful thinking? Yes. Practical thinking? He probably short-circuited, again." Sunstreaker kicked the side of a seemingly stasis-captured Prowl on the doors. "Why is he painted like that?"

"Mid-life crisis?"

"We live too long for that human slag. I was referring to the sloppy lines. Just seeing it breaks my spark," the yellow mech offered monotonously.

Sideswipe crouched down to inspect the car.

"Seems like whoever did this was in a rush," he informed, thoughtfully, thinking back to the days where they had to paint sloppily in order to complete a prank on time. _Ah, memories._

"Well, I'm not bringing him to Ratchet." Sunstreaker promptly turned on his heel and left the red mech to his reminiscing.

"Fine, I'll do it," he muttered with a heavy sigh after a couple kliks, knowing that his brother was already too far away to hear him. Sideswipe picked Prowl up by the front bumper and dragged him to the med bay.

::Ratchet, I have a delivery,:: he com-linked along the way. ::Prepare a berth, it's a big one.::

::What, in Primus' name, are you bringing?:: the medic sent in his usual, gruff way.

::Prowl,:: Sides answered simply, pushing open the med bay doors with gusto.

"Hello, Ratchet," Sideswipe beamed, knowing that Ratchet would still bark at him even though he hasn't done anything wrong yet. In fact, a wrench flew right past his head the second Ratchet was in optical view. "Geez, couldn't wait, could you?"

"What did you do?" the lime green mech sighed, hydraulics hissing when his shoulders slumped.

"Wha—Me? I did nothing! I just found him like this," he claimed, sounding way more offended than he should.

"Indirectly, in some way shape or form, you did this, and I'm holding you responsible. Stop breaking our soldiers," Ratchet scolded, motioning for Jolt to come over and help restart Prowl.

"Well, that's just not fair. You know who did this? Skids and Mudflap. That paint has their names all over it."

"Those two are not allowed into the storage closets. Ergo, they cannot have obtained the paint. Your brother, on the other hand, has his own personal stash of paint lying around everywhere. Of that, I am sure," he finished with a sarcastic smirk. Once Ratchet clicked the hatch closed, whirring could be heard from the awakening Lamborghini cop-car.

"Ugh, what happened?" Prowl groaned groggily. He shifted to his full height and sat against the berth above him. Blinking at the vivid colors on his bipedal form, he decided to take a vow of silence. His processor was practically shrieking from this confusion. Warnings were popping up from both the stress in his body and the foreign contaminants loaded in his artillery.

"Prowl, cycle your vents before something pops in your system," Ratchet commanded, still crouching near the frozen mech.

"Excuse me," was all he said before letting out a hearty yell.

"Prowl! Shut up!" Sideswipe hollered, muting his audio intakes for a while. He caught a glimpse of flailing servos and what seemed to be a wrestling match between medic and patient before a misdirected servo caught his leg and Sides came crashing down.

"What is going on—? Oh, Pit." Arcee dropped her sentence in order to wince from the volume of the wailing mech. _Commence recording sequence_.

::Sides, what the frag did you do?:: she sent over a line, deeming that it would be impossible to hold a conversation out loud.

::Why does everyone assume it was me?:: he grunted.

::Well, you don't have a history for nothing,:: she added, stepping closer to the no-longer black and white Prowl.

::Arcee, I wouldn't do that if I were you,:: Ratchet warned, still fighting to stabilize his patient. He had sent Jolt to get a sedative a few kliks ago.

::Hush, mech, I know what I'm doing,:: she snapped, crawling closer to the distressed one.

"Pro-o-owl," she sang softly, "it's okay, Arcee's here. She's gotcha, ya big lug." Arcee stuck a gentle servo to cup his cheek and dragged it along his shoulders, cooing comforting words.

"The frag? It's working," Sideswipe whispered in amazement.

"It's probably a femme thing," Ratchet whispered back.

"Hey, hey, don't worry Prowl. It's fine, just calm down," she babied.

::How are you doing this evil sorcery?:: Sides asked her through a link.

::I'm just copying what Nova does to Bonnie sometimes,:: she answered. _Speaking of her_...

"You want Nova? You want her to come here? I'll go get Nova, okay?" Arcee knew that he would only truly calm down in the presence of his best friend, though she already was aware that it was that friend who caused all this hullabaloo.

::What does Nova have anything to do with him?:: Sideswipe asked as she left to find the femme.

::She's like his comfort blankie,:: Arcee explained, turning the correct hallways, finding that most corners held massive, shallow craters.

::Comfort blankie?::

::It's a blanket that serves to pacify human children.::

::Did you happen to see most of how Prowl reacted?:: he asked, changing the topic.

::Second half only, but it is locked away in a safe place, ready to be transferred to any 'Bot who's willing to pay the price,:: she relayed, subliminally laying an offer on the table.

::Screw you,:: he stated blankly.

::When and where?:: she returned slyly.

* * *

><p>Nova woke up to a knock on the door and an empty berth. Primus, a headache crashed onto her like crazy. <em>It was so worth it,<em> she smiled to herself. Her entire body was sore, especially her chest plates. Who knew Optimus could be that aggressive? Stretching a little, she decided to try a little something.

_Good morning, Optimus Prime, _she purred, feeling the warmth of her new bond engulf her.

_Good morning, beautiful, _he returned, picking up his frame slightly at the sound and presence of her voice in his spark.

_Don't let _me_ interrupt your day, I just wanted to say hello, _she hummed, slowly dragging herself up. _I never knew you were _that _strong, Prime. I'm sore all over._

_My apologies, it's hard to hold back from something so magnificent._

Nova would've blushed at his words. She didn't think her body was anything special. Pit, Elita-1 was probably prettier than her. Only Nova's human form was perfect—mostly because it was taken off of a super model's measurements.

_Don't apologize, I liked seeing that side of you, _she teased.

The knock came again, this time followed with a muffled voice.

"Nova, wake up, we have an emergency!" Arcee said, listening for the sounds of stirring in the room.

"Can't you get Prowl to handle it?" Nova questioned, groggily making her way to the door in order to open it.

"Well, that's kinda the problem," Arcee chirped bashfully, looking up to meet her comrade's optics.

"Oh great, I didn't break him, did I?" she whined, rubbing the recharge out of her optics.

"No, but you came close." Arcee transferred the file of Prowl in a fit to Nova through their wrist ports, leading her to the med bay.

"So that's what I was hearing earlier. I thought I was dreaming it," she mumbled, walking gracefully down the halls. Deteriorated walls began appearing as they walked further down, reminding her of the little escapade that happened last night. Nova tried to cover her embarrassed features when the familiar dents grew deeper into the concrete of N.E.S.T. property.

"Hey, do you know where those cracks came from?" the smaller femme asked, tracing a digit onto one of them.

"Uh… um…" Nova scratched the back of her helm—one more human trait to add to her ever growing list—while trying to think of what to say.

Arcee took her stunned silence into account as she eyed Nova suspiciously. She saw something different with her purple friend. Albeit small, it was different. Nova was glowing, literally. She let out an almost painful and overdramatic gasp as her optics widened.

"You and Optimus bon—mph!" She was stopped by a servo clamped onto her face.

"Not so loud," Nova scolded in a sharp whisper. "Not everyone needs to know yet." Letting go, she saw that Arcee had a repressed scream dying to come out. "Fine, go ahead, let out your glee," she sighed.

"Ahh! Oh my Primus, it's fragging official!" Arcee screeched as loud as her vocals could go. "You know what this means?"

"Um, that I've bonded a Prime?" Nova asked quizzically, not understanding her train of thought.

"It means I won the bet!"

"Another bet? What's wrong with you guys? Is fighting 'Cons so boring that you need to have wagers?" Nova scoffed, returning to the direction of the medical area.

"Say what you want, but I'm getting me some slaves," she cackled evilly.

"Now, who are the mechs that will suffer under your command?" Nova asked with a smirk.

"Hide and Jack," she answered simply.

"Wheeljack was in the bet, too?"

"I think almost everyone was. Even Epps."

"Great. So my love life is a game for all of you," Nova stated dejectedly. All her mock sadness dropped when she opened the large doors and spotted an emotionless mech huddled on the floor. Not everyone would be able to tell, but Nova could. Prowl was confused as Pit.

"Aw, Prowlie, you okay, sweetie?" she cooed to him, much like Arcee did.

::Told ya that's what Nova does,:: she teased Sideswipe, who was still there.

He hoped to be able to witness Prowl freak out again, to no avail.

Almost instantaneously, Prowl stood up and became his normal, composed self. The sight of his friend reminded him that he needed to get his act together. He couldn't let Nova see him like this. The mech had _some _dignity.

"Yes, Nova, I am well," he answered, systems rebooting to its regular rhythm. "Thank you for your concern. I apologize for my sporadic outburst. I meant not to be a burden," Prowl directed to the others.

Nova and Arcee were doing the best they could to hide guilty giggles as they saw how much Prowl resembled Mr. Clean. And by the looks of it, he still hadn't used his weapons yet. Nova felt a small pang of regret, granted he's had worse from the twins. She would help him clean up later; that's a good compromise.

"Come on, Prowl. Let's get out of here. It's babysitting time for you," Nova informed, inviting him to play with Bonnie for a while. He duly accepted with a short nod.

"Looks like I'm done here. Nova, you've got a training session later, don't forget," Sideswipe told her, taking Arcee out with him as they both left the med bay.

"The only reason he enjoys training is because he gets to kick my aft. Quite easily at that," she told Prowl as they headed to the exit as well. Nova was about five steps away from leaving when an excruciating spike of pain stabbed her through the spark, forcing her to double over and clutch her chest plates. "Aw, Primus," she grunted, stumbling to her knees.

"Nova, are you okay?" Prowl asked, kneeling to help her up.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. I just… need to talk to Ratchet for a bit. Don't wait up for me, I'll just meet you there," she wheezed, putting on a fake, yet obviously pained, smile.

"But, you are hurt," he reasoned, helping her to a berth.

"Ratchet's right here, Prowler. I'll be just fine. Go to Bonnie, she might be unattended," Nova distracted him with. She knew Bonnie was fine, but any inch of doubt in that mech's processor was enough of a distraction.

"What's wrong?" Ratchet asked her after Prowl had hesitantly left.

"I don't know. It feels like what it usually does except worse," Nova relayed, referring to her permanent system damages.

"Hmm, you're not due for another check-up for two orns. I can't see why this time would be any different. Has Sideswipe injured you recently?" he asked, thinking of every possibility to her fluctuating health.

"Nope, besides a few dings and dents every now and then but that's hardly worth your time," she told, wincing as another pulse visited her. The femme knew Optimus could feel this and probably was on his way now to check on her. _Secrets are fragging hard to keep from your bonded. Wait a minute._

"Nova, have you bonded yet?" Ratchet took the bashful smile as a yes. The glowing in her spark chamber was also another supporting detail. "Primus, femme, you need to tell me this," he said, exasperatedly.

"Now, why in the 'verse would I tell you such things? It's a very awkward subject and quite frankly, you are a very awkward mech," Nova said with a matter-of-factly tone.

"You need to tell me because his spark power could have very well killed you had he not kept the Matrix with him. Not to mention, future sparklings' lives could've been in danger," Ratchet grumbled, waving a threatening finger at her. "Chest plates, off," he commanded, opening up her spark chamber to assess the damage.

"You're fingers are cold," she muttered stubbornly to herself, hating the fact that he won the argument. "Ow!" she squeaked when he pinched a wire too hard. "What was that for?"

"For being difficult," he answered smugly, earning a disgusted glare. "Well, anyway, it seems that some wires were singed and there is a crack on your chamber wall. Nothing your body can't fix on its own."

"Thanks, medic," Nova chirped as she hopped off the berth, regretting it instantly when her sore spark chamber took the brunt of the force. "Hey, before I go, how long do you think it'll be until the sparklings start to form?" she asked, refraining from bursting with joy. Nova tried to put on her armor in a collected way, not wanting him to see the glee that could erupt at any moment.

"A week from now I will monitor you and check, if you wish it so."

"I wish it so," she reiterated, walking out of there before—

"Nova, are you all right?" an almost flustered Optimus inquired. He had to skid to a stop before transforming right in front of her.

"Are _you_ all right? You just fish-tailed down the hall! I can see your tracks right there," she pointed out, concern for his tires popping to the front of her mind.

"That's not the point, you were in pain. What happened to you?" He checked your entire form, seeing that nothing obvious was out of place.

"Oh, it's just my system failures acting up a little from the bond," Nova said nonchalantly. She immediately froze when she processed what just materialized from her vocals. _Slag._

"System failures?" Optimus asked pretending to not be aware of what she was talking about, which was pretty much impossible seeing as how their emotions were shared with one another.

"Um… yes?" she squeaked, looking everywhere but towards him.

"Don't you think that that is important information for me to know?" he questioned, speaking as if he were about to reprimand a small sparkling. In fact, he almost always had to do that with her when the situation called for it.

"Uh-huh," she cheeped sheepishly, ducking her head to avoid his glare.

"So why didn't you tell me?" Optimus rumbled loudly in a tired manner. He didn't mean to scare her from the sudden volume of his voice, but nevertheless it happened. The leader, pinched the bridge of his nose—something he picked up from Lennox—as he readied himself for the answer.

"I—I just didn't want you to treat me like I was going to break at any second. I didn't want anyone to do that," Nova admitted with a forlorn sigh. She felt guilt coming off of Optimus' side of the bond. "Why do you feel guilty about that?"

_Slag, I'm caught,_ he thought to himself, making sure to shield it away from the bond.

"I-um, uh…"

"Baby, I told you the truth, can't you tell me?" she asked, vengeance hiding beneath her words._ What the slag has he done?_

"I can't tell you anymore," he quickly spoke.

"What? Why?"

"Because, you only call me baby when you're either planning something or when you're mad as Pit. Considering your current tone of voice, I have reason to believe that you are planning revenge. I'm onto you, femme," Optimus let out with mock skepticism.

Silence.

Stone-cold, icy-daggered, painful silence.

Okay, now she couldn't take it anymore. Nova just had to laugh. The tension in the air broke as she let out a small, innocent chuckle.

Optimus saw her mirth and smiled down at her. It was a sure sign that he played his cards right.

"Fine, fine, I won't get mad. We are one now, there can never be any secrets between us," she smiled. The femme walked up to him and gave her mech a hug, clutching firmly onto his chest plates.

"I already knew about your condition. I was just perplexed at why you didn't tell me sooner. Your reason is a valid one. I must admit, I have been treating you with that frantic delicacy you disapprove of." He waited for any signs of an answer from her, besides when she gripped his armor to an almost painful level. But that lasted for only a second.

"You're not mad are you?" he asked hesitantly. Optimus took his chin off the top of her head for a moment to check.

"Nope," she strained, deeply trying to repress her anger. "Not at all." That last sentence came out in a higher pitch than usual. And why shouldn't it? All those vorns of slagging paperwork that came with the switching of one job to the next. Everyone had seemed to have fought a battle except her, and now she knows why. That tricky mech in front of her was the reason why she was a horrible fighter. He was the reason why she felt the need to redeem herself.

"You look mad." Optimus had interrupted her train of thought.

"No," she repeated, sighing this time. Then again, if he hadn't been so fickle with her safety, she would never have been taken from Elita-1's command to his command. Then Nova would never have gotten so close to him. They wouldn't have bonded and for all they knew, Bonnie wouldn't even exist! "I'm not mad. I'm teeming with love," she told truthfully, stretching up to plant a kiss on his chin.

* * *

><p>"Pow!" a small child cried, stretching her robotic arms up to the mech that had just arrived.<p>

"My name is Prowl, Bonnie. Enunciate," he instructed softly, earning a quick nod from her. She was a little over two years old and he expected her to be able to form basic sentences, or at the very least, complete thoughts.

"Prow," she tried again, looking at him with puppy-dog eyes that could kill.

"Close enough," he sighed, sitting down next to her.

"Um, um, um, Prow?" Bonnie asked, stuttering a little. "Why-why is you owange?"

"Orange," he emphasized the "R."

"Ow-ow-orwange."

"We need to work on your R's," he commented, quickly pulling up lesson plans. "To answer your question, sparkling, I haven't the slightest clue."

"Mommy has owa-orange paint, too!" she informed, making sure he knew that maybe her mom could help.

"Your lalaith has orange paint?" Prowl twitched, hastily putting two and two together.

"What's a la-lal…?" Bonnie tried pronouncing.

"It's your mother, sparkling. Does she also happen to have white paint?" he strained to say.

"Uh," Bonnie thought for a moment, trying to remember what she saw in their room. "Yeah!"

"Hello dearspark and dearspark," a jovial Nova greeted the two as she strode into the room. Her bright smile wavered thin when she saw Prowl glitching out a little. He was a second-born like her brother. With much questioning about her past, Nova had found out that she wasn't a second-born, she was just weird.

"Nova, may I have a word with you?" Prowl asked, stepping up with a completely smooth tone. It was his calm before the storm.

"Yeah, sure. Prowlie, what's wrong?" she asked, scanning to make sure no one was in pain.

"Is it true that you have done this?" He gestured to his entire body.

"Oh… darn, you caught me," Nova spoke nervously.

"How could you?" he asked incredulously after a couple kliks of silence had passed.

"It's a warning. Next time you mechs think you can go through Halloween without dressing up _creatively_, you'll have me to deal with. Besides, I promise I'll help clean you off. Okay?" she tried, coaxing his horrible mood into one that mirrored hers.

"Fine," he said curtly.

"Please don't be mad at me. I'm your best friend," Nova sang, tugging gently on his folded arms. "Do you forgive me?"

With a sigh, he dropped his shoulders. "Yes, I do."

"Oh, thank you, thank you!" Nova hugged him tightly before letting go to gesture to his stowed-away weapons. "Shoot yourself," she said quickly, obviously stating out of context. The mech in front of her froze suddenly with a perplexed expression. Nova just knew that he thought her to be crazy.

"For the sake of my sanity, please clarify."

"We switched out your ammo with soap. It's so you stay in character. You _are_ Mr. Clean." The femme quickly connected their wrist ports to give him the basics of this so-called, cleaning supply mascot.

"For the love of Primus, do not _ever_ bring me into your mind. I do not want to know how _you _even comprehend situations. It's downright terrifying," he shuddered.

"You got that right, mech. Now come on, I'll have Bonnie help wash you off."

The end result of their little activity was this; Prowl was squeaky clean, Nova and Bonnie were not, the older 'Bots audio processors might need to be fixed considering how much Bonnie had squealed from all the bubbles, and maintenance was going to have one Pit of a time fixing up the messy, semi-flooded hangar.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Sides," Nova greeted as she walked into their make-shift, sparring hangar. The Autobots were going to be moved out of the D.C. base as soon as they could but that didn't stop Ironhide and the twins from establishing an appropriate, quarreling place. "Hi, Sunny, Hide. What are you guys doing here?"<p>

"They are here to help me," Sides offered vaguely, gesturing for her to take a position adjacent from him. "Nova, I feel that you have excelled wonderfully through our so-and-so months of training."

"Thank you," she responded egotistically.

"Ah-ah-ah, I wasn't done," he said in a demeaning fashion, tapping her nose at the end of his sentence. To which she responded with a confused huff. "I have decided to let you use your extensive knowledge of your medical-ness."

"Again with the beautiful explanations," she commented sarcastically.

"Yes, yes, I know you're jealous. Bottom line is street fighting is applicable here. Out there in the scary, big-bad universe, the 'Cons will not have the decency of fighting clean, so that is why you, too, must learn of the cheating," Sideswipe instructed in his sensei way.

"Okay, I'm with you so far. What does this have to do with these two?" Nova nodded her head into the direction of the 'Bots next to them.

"You thought that I was going to put myself against you?" Sideswipe scoffed. "Not in a million vorns! That's why I asked for backup." He heard the other two grunt in agreement.

"Aw, but I want to start off easy," she complained, stomping her foot a little.

"Haha, yeah! And I want to start alive," he replied, changing his sarcastic, happy face into a dead, serious glare. "Sunny, you're up. Try not to kill her."

"No promises," Sunstreaker muttered jokingly, earning himself a "love-tap" from Ironhide.

"Ready, Sunny-Bunny?" Nova teased, taking a stance.

"So much more ready than y—" His sentence was dropped the second she rushed him. _What the frag! She fragging interrupted my sentence!_ he growled in his head.

_Watch out, Sunnykins. She looks pretty good from here,_ Sideswipe shared, giving him a few glimpses of what they looked like. It currently looked like Nova was kicking Sunny's aft from here to Cybertron.

_Don't test me, mech,_ Sunstreaker growled, knocking the femme off of him.

_Why? If it makes you fight better, I should! You're getting beat up by a femme, loser! Get your act together! Be careful, I think your humility is showing! _Sideswipe taunted, barraging him with derogatory comments.

"Femme, I will end you!" he roared after Nova made him stumble forward.

"Not unless I end you first," she giggled, trying to rile him up as much as possible. She was going to have fun if he liked it or not. Nova ducked low to swipe his legs from under his feet, but Sunny was too quick.

He hopped over her leg and hoisted her up, jump-kicking her to the ground. That's when the weapons came out. Sunstreaker unsheathed his twin blades while Nova took out her forearm blades. He made to swing at her which she expertly deflected, making Sunny roll forward. The two clanged swords time after time, eventually wearing their weapons down by the slightest. The scent of fresh metal was now detectable.

Sunstreaker scissor-cut her blade away from him, making Nova land on her aft.

_Finally, it's been a while already. Hurry up and finish her so Hide can have a turn,_ Sideswipe sent, not knowing that he was being ignored.

"You gonna give up, femme?" the yellow mech taunted, reveling in his current win.

"Not yet, mech," she spat similarly, "You can't get rid of me that easily." An evil smirk made its way to her face plates before her opponent could realize what it meant.

"What makes you so sure that you can defeat me?" he scoffed, preparing to win.

"Small, science lesson, Sunstreaker," Nova uttered almost darkly from her spot on the ground. "Do you know what happens to a sun when it goes through a nova?" She paused to let him think.

Almost an astrosecond too late was when he reacted.

"It dies!" she roared, pouncing on him which brought them both down. A large cloud of both dust and accumulated grindings of metal appeared in the air, blocking the vision to those who inhabited the space. After the room stilled, an innocent and simple laugh pierced quietly through the fog. Nova whispered sweetly to the loser beneath her, "Boom, headshot."

Sunstreaker looked down to see her cannon pressed tightly against his main energon line in his neck. He felt a quick kiss on his forehead that was promptly followed by an infectious giggle.

"Grr, get off of me," he grumbled, shoving the laughing femme off. She slid right to the side, lying on the ground where he knew she was still chuckling at him.

"Whoa, Sunny—"

"Shut up, Sides," he barked, knowing that his brother had some sort of witty comeback. Today was just not his day. _What the frag? A fragging femme! I was defeated by a fragging femme!_ he repeated to himself, still dazed about what just happened.

"Hey, Sunstreaker, don't do that," Nova cooed after sobering from her laughing fit. "I'm sorry, please don't pout." It was so hard to hold back more laughter. She saw him sulking behind his brother and just knew that he felt like slag. "Come on, Sunny. What are you doing back there?"

"Thinking profanities at you," he grumbled under his breath.

"It's true, I can hear it," Sides affirmed.

"Well, hey, if it makes you feel better, Ironhide's gonna try and whoop my aft. I know you wanna watch," she said with a playful smirk, hopping to her feet. Nova smiled when she saw the brooding mech turn into a mischievous one. Albeit the mischief was directed to her.

"Are you saying that you're going to win?" Ironhide chuckled sarcastically. It was obvious who was going to come out on top. Duh, who's got the bigger guns?

"All I'm saying is that this will be interesting," Nova spoke obscurely.

"Take a stance, femme."

* * *

><p><em>Hey there! Welcome to the end of the chapter. Next chapter will be of Ironhide beating the slag out of Nova... fun... It would be cool if you review! Kay doodles, bye!<em>

_**~Replies~ **_

_**TheUltimateSacrifice:** Haha, it's so hard to choose just one, right? Personally, I think Sides and Sunny are cute, but I'm an OP girl all the way. Thanks for lovin' mah stories! Because of that, I shall love your creative and thought-provoking name... hmm... *provokes thoughts*_

_**DarkAngelMel2: **Firsties, I gave your number to Sunny and Sides (as you can tell). Also, the last time Nova tried to start a business, I told Prowl to brig her. We have the Autobot secrets to keep, ya know? So unfortunately, she can't host your party... But me on the other hand, heheh... OP is not the best mingler, no matter how charismatic of a leader he may be. It's a miracle that Nova fell in love with him. But look where they are now. Ironic, isn't it? Heh, Sideswipe is a pretty good choice in mechs; cute, strong, hilarious. The only downside is that he's a player :(._

_**Dreaming Out Loud since '98: **Thanks for checking out my Nova picture. I'm actually drawing a new one (don't hold your breath though) based on Transformers: Animated. Nova looks way better in that format. Ugh, I hate homework. Sad thing is, it can only get worse :(. Lol, Alyssa might appear in my next story. This story is ending soon so I can't really start any new plots. I'm glad my fic makes you have the smiles. Use the power of international friendship to brighten your dark days. It will pass, trust me. As a good friend has told me, "It's always darkest before dawn." (Don't worry, I've had my fair share in crap-days, too).  
><em>


	21. Rules? Who Cares?

_Hi all! If you're on the west side of the world, today is Wednesday the 23th. If you are on the east side of the world, it is Thursday the 24th. I was so oblivious of this fact that half my readers are probably really confused because you were promised a chapter on this day. Well, I whipped this one real quick just for you guys! I will post another chapter tomorrow and during the weekend. It's thanks to Dreaming Out Loud since '98 that I caught this error. _

_**Alter Ego: She doesn't own anything and—**_

_**Me: **There's no time for that! Let's just get on with the chapter!_

* * *

><p>"Hey, yo, Glenn!" Leo called to his mentor, quickly waving him over.<p>

"What?" he asked, wiggling through the rows of computers and the people sitting in front of them,

"Look at this," Leo pointed to a faint, red blip on the screen. "Foreign object detected. What do you want me to do with it?"

"Get a location first. Hurry, it looks like it's fading," Glenn instructed, watching as the man in front of him punched in a couple commands.

"Says it's in Clifton, Virginia, a little over half-an-hour from here, now what?" He looked up to see a concentrated look on Glenn's face.

"Check the details. How big is it? Is it Cybertronian? Friend or foe? Will lives be threatened? The basics, you know? I'll go get Lennox." Glenn left the control room quickly and traveled to a nearby radio on the wall. He punched in Lennox's frequency and waited for a response.

"Major Lennox, here," came the response.

"Computer Forensics," Glenn started, "Found something you might wanna see."

"On my way." Lennox turned around from the riser he was currently on. From there, he could see the smaller twins quarreling, Bumblebee annoying Mirage with loud blasts of music, and Leadfoot and Chromia yelling about weapon plans. "Should I run or would that be too obvious?" he mused to himself, carefully sidling away from the action.

"Hey, Leo, any details?" Glenn called, hustling back to his subordinate. He could barely make out a zoomed-in map from where he was from.

"Yeah, yeah, hurry up, I got something."

"If you can call _that _something," Glenn scoffed.

"Hey, that's everything I can get from this signal. It's faltering slowly. That's some Cybertronian shit for sure. Looks like it's dying though," he relayed, finally relaxing back in his seat. His emotions, although, were not relaxed. Whatever, or whoever, that is could lose their life if N.E.S.T. took too long to respond. Being in a war will never wash away the guilt of death it had imposed on Leo.

"Hey, Glenn, you got news?" Will asked as he jogged up to the men.

"Got a Cybertronian signature. We can't tell anymore than that," he informed, showing the monitor. "It may be dying. What do you want us to do?"

"Hmm… Where is this?" Lennox snapped suddenly.

"Virginia," Leo answered.

"Damn it, Jazz and two of the Wreckers are on recon up north. It'll take them hours to get there," he muttered to himself. "Okay, I'll see who we can spare. Keep track of that signal," the major directed to the two.

* * *

><p>"You ready, old man?" Nova taunted with a sharp look in her optics.<p>

This match was obviously going to focus on guns and rifles, considering those were Ironhide's main weapon. The room had shifted around a little. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were hidden behind a bulletproof glass in a small room that connected to this one and the mats were taken out of the way, seeing that they were probably going to be burnt from the ammo anyway.

"Don't get ahead of yourself femme. You've had minimal experience compared to me. Besides, I'm taller than you now," he huffed with a semi-sadistic smile.

"That was a low blow," she growled.

"Street rules, youngling." Ironhide chuckled at the sight of Nova getting flustered from is verbal abuse. He could tell that she wanted to prove herself to him so much that she'd probably turn into a dark shade of red from the anger.

"Fine, if that's how we're going to play…" Nova knew she wasn't going to win this one from pure strength. She needed to use her surroundings to her advantage. The femme had been friends with Ironhide long enough to know his weaknesses. Boy howdy, was this going to be fun. "… Let's play."

The second those words were uttered, the still snapped and the bullets flew. Nova had brought out her cannon that replaced her right servo. Sadly, that was her only cannon and it could never measure up to Ironhide's artillery. Even if she had the huge rifle situated on top of it, it was an easy loss.

Ironhide dodged away from her line of fire, bringing out his own stock of firearms. He shot at her with the biggest guns he had, grumbling slightly when she craftily escaped each round.

A sneaky little plan delved itself into Nova's processing unit, making the little femme smile a little maniacally. She stood her ground firmly and made to aim at the small nook in Ironhide's plasma rocket launcher. It took a grand total of six attempts to jam his workings. Nova may be smart but Primus, a perfect aim? Maybe on a good day… if she was lucky.

When the old mech found that his firearm wouldn't… well… _fire, _he double checked the wiring, trying his best to keep tabs on that crazy femme. There, lodged tight into the smallest crevice of his inner workings, was a bullet that belonged to none other than his opponent. He couldn't shoot until that bullet was eradicated from his system. _Slagging femme got me good,_ Ironhide admitted, trying to shake it out of its hiding place. His fingers were simply too big to be able to pick it out.

Nova saw her opportunity for a lead. She made lithe movements that could barely be detectable by the most sensitive creature known to man and mech alike. Sneaking up behind the black mech, she began to put her plot into movement.

Once he had gotten the fragging bullet—that was a mere pebble compared to him—out, he shot his head up, looking for Nova. _How the frag did she escape my sight?_ Ironhide made careful circles around, looking for the one who could put Mirage to shame.

The femme saw how he took the bullet out faster than she expected and almost froze. If it weren't for the fact that her "life" was "on the line," she probably would have. Instead, she stayed behind him at a certain angle, making sure neither he nor his sensors could pick her up.

Ironhide double checked the room scans he gave. It said that she wasn't even _in_ the room! Thinking back to his battle tactics, and what he had observed Nova doing in previous sessions, an answer hit him. _That sly femme is using me as a shield! _Because of his large frame—and massive blind spot—she could easily hide right underneath him. _She must be in very uncomfortable position right now._

Nova saw him pause momentarily to think this out, that's when she struck him. With all the power her legs could give, she boosted herself from the crouched position she was in and tackled him to the floor. Well, she tried.

"Hah! Not so fast, femme," Ironhide boomed, turning around to grab her, swinging her around a bit from the momentum. "I was expecting that."

"What? No way!" Sunstreaker cried from the small viewing room.

"How the frag did he _do_ that? _I_ can't even do that, and _I've _been training her for months!" Sideswipe exclaimed, leaning his forehead against the glass to see the action.

_All right, new plan, new plan, _Nova repeated nervously in her mind. As of right now, they were wrestling on the ground. She pushed him off with her legs and saw him stumble back. All too soon, he regained his balance and squared off the femme silently writhing on the ground.

"Ready to end this, femme?" he chuckled, aiming his gun.

_Frag, frag, frag, frag…_

"What? No more tricks up your sleeves? What if I was a 'Con? I wouldn't be monologue-ing this long. Well, unless I was Megatron. Or Starscream for that matter," Ironhide shrugged. The whirrings and crackling of his cannon could be heard as he prepared to finish this.

_Wait! Idea!_

"Bonnie get out of the way!" Nova screeched to the illusory child behind Ironhide, causing him to turn around sharply. She knew there were only mere astroseconds to react. Jumping to her feet, Nova shot at the part behind both Ironhide's knees, making him buckle to the ground. Nova leapt onto his falling back, digging her servos deep into his shoulder blades, looking for a certain mechanism.

Making sure that she wouldn't fray any unnecessary wires or permanently handicap her friend, she twisted and pulled gently on the precise places which would release the catch on both his arms. Nova was far from barbaric and made sure that he experienced as less pain as was necessary. Of course, if it were a 'Con… that's a different story.

"She looks like she rode a bull," Sideswipe commented as he witnessed the two fall. Nova was placed on Ironhide's back as if he were a horse.

"That's Ironhide, man. She _did_ ride a bull," Sunstreaker affirmed, standing up to walk up to the banged up 'Bots.

"What the frag was that? That was so low," Ironhide ranted, hating that he just lost! Him! Of all mechs, _he_ lost! And to one of the most inexperienced femmes on the face of the planet!

All that was going through Nova's mind was, _Wha-what… what just happened?_ She was still dazed from the fact that she, of all the hardest-working _soldiers_ she knows, just defeated—

"Ironhide?" she asked, still atop the fallen mech. "Tell me you just let me win for the sake of my pride," she uttered quietly.

"I would love to," he grunted sarcastically. The mass sitting upon him slid off and helped him to get up correctly. "How the frag did you do that, femme?" he asked, amazed at her controlled ferocity.

"Wait, so I actually just defeated you?" Nova asked again, picking up each arm and reattaching it quickly.

"Pit yeah, you did!" Sideswipe cheered, grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her slightly, making the off-balance femme stumble.

Her face went from confused to ecstatic as things finally clicked into place. Nova was suddenly light-headed, and her spark fluttered violently from happiness.

"Primus, I just took down Ironhide!" she squealed jumping up and down joyfully, hugging each mech in the room. Sideswipe's hug was saved for last. "Sides, come here you miracle worker!" she let out excitedly, gripping him with a passion. As if turning into a completely different person, Nova put on a somber face and addressed Ironhide.

"I am very sorry for screwing up your aft-beating reputation. I doubt that I could pull a stunt like that again, and I promise that I won't tell anyone about this," she stated professionally, heaving air in and out in order to keep from overheating.

"Thank y—," Ironhide started, stopping when Sunstreaker cut him off.

"I don't," the imp of a mech said, "I've got this slag recorded. Check your inbox regularly, Hide, because I've got blackmail."

"I've got footage of you getting your aft handed to you on a silver platter. You're not the only one with blackmail, youngling," he chortled, rolling his shoulders to get the feeling back in his arms.

"You should get Ratchet to check that, just to be safe," Nova informed.

"I don't need that slaghead for this. I'll be fine, I've lived through worse," he boasted.

A ping from Prime was sent to all three of them, requesting their presence to the control room. By the looks of it, this meeting was pretty important.

"Now what do we have here?" Nova thought as they began to head for the room.

"Hope it's not another patrolling assignment, I just had that duty for the past orn," Sideswipe whined.

"Grow up, you idiot," Nova chuckled light-heartedly, jabbing him softly with her elbow. Little did she know, an elbow-jabbing fight had just begun. "Stop it," she giggled as he started slapping her servos away.

"Both of you grow up," Ironhide groaned, watching them fight in a very sibling-like manner. He saw Sunstreaker trying to get in on the fun. When Nova's head was turned to face Sideswipe, Sunstreaker—flanking Nova on the opposite side of his brother—quickly grabbed the bottom of her helm, unlatching it and revealing the color shifting cords that bounced gently onto her shoulder.

"Sunny! Give me back my helmet!" she demanded with a big smile, trying to hide the cords. It was much like Wheeljack's cords and—if one was lucky enough to see—it also mirrored that of Arcee's. Except, like her, Nova hid them under her helmet. She never liked how awkward it looked on her, it gave the presence of weakness; a soft spot.

"I never knew you had cords under your helm," Ironhide commented, watching as she tried to dart for the skating mech.

"Well, if you haven't forgotten, I'm only a civilian. I hadn't had the pleasure of replacing it with a… proper helm," Nova grunted as she tried to grab her helmet back.

"Can't catch me, femme," Sunny taunted, waving the purple thing mere inches from her grasp.

Ironhide actually _did_ forget she was only a civilian. Wheeljack, on the other hand, he had not forgotten. It's just that Nova was always mixed between everyone's business, he just assumed she was a soldier from time to time.

"I thought you helped people with overcoming their weaknesses. Isn't this a hypocritical statement?" he asked her.

"Just because I like helping other people with their weakness doesn't mean I like showing mine. It's one more thing that I've learned during this slagging war," she grumbled, smacking Sideswipe in the face as he tried holding her back from Sunny.

They finally made it to the control room. Or… more like, they barged in, catching the optic and eye of everyone there. Apparently, they were the last to arrive. Even Bonnie was there.

Nova was still chasing Sunstreaker when they entered, screaming at him.

"Sunny, give me back my he—Whoa!" Jetfire had grabbed both her and Sunstreaker by the scruff bar, sitting the mech down forcefully while placing Nova gently onto his lap.

"Mech, give me the helmet, now," he snarled at the slightly quivering Sunstreaker. The dark, purple helmet was thrown forcefully into Nova's face, making her spit a little.

"Hey!" she yelled at him as he ran away before Jetfire could do something. Nova grouped the cords into something akin to a bun and placed the helm back on with a quiet snap.

"Anyway," Lennox continued warily, looking at the twins and Nova with disapproving looks. "As I was saying…"

"What happened to you a while ago?" Optimus whispered into Nova's audios when she walked up to him.

"What do you mean?" she whispered back, expertly ignoring every word Lennox said.

"You seemed very joyous when you did whatever it was you did. It flowed through our bond so quickly that I accidently let out a giggle during a meeting with the humans' leaders. Their _leaders_, Nova." That was a very embarrassing moment indeed. Optimus had to pass of the giggle as a little bug in his system. Epps would never let him live that one down.

"Sorry, sweetie," Nova breathed, laughing softly. "I just accomplished what very few can." She sent him a small memory burst through their bond, sharing both Sunstreaker's and Ironhide's defeat.

Optimus was speechless to say the least. He would have to talk about this more with her later, that's for sure. As he was about to say something, Lennox had cued to him.

"So, Optimus, without further ado, name your soldiers," he said, gesturing to the crowd.

_What does he need soldiers for? _Nova asked Optimus as he stood and eyed everyone carefully.

_Signal was picked up in Virginia. It's just an observe-and-retrieve mission._

"I'll go," Nova immediately said, wanting so badly to get out of the cramped base. Besides, it's observe and retrieve, what about that spelled "danger?"

"Absolutely not," Optimus countered almost as quickly as she did.

"What? Why not?" she asked, bordering confusion and pure childlike anger.

"We don't know who or what this is. It could be Decepticon for all we know and you are not properly ranked for this," he replied automatically. This excuse was used over and over with Nova. It was only now that he figured out that she knew what he was doing. But the words had already escaped his mouth.

"No, that's not what this is about, is it?" she asked quietly, in a tone that made it obvious she was mad, even when she began to smile. _All those vorns and now I finally understand…_ "This is what I get from trusting you. You don't even give time to think about this." A wry laugh followed the end of her sentence.

"Do not do this now, Nova. I am not letting you go and that is my final word on this subject," he spoke in a low tone, so as not to alert the others. "Mirage, Bumblebee, you two are to go as soon as possible. Prowl, please handle that."

"Of course, Prime. They will leave in approximately twenty minutes," he bid, nodding for the others to follow him. Almost everybody glanced towards the couple, checking to see what level of tension they were at.

"Take a picture, it lasts longer," Epps commented, tapping a few legs to make them move out.

"Nova, you know why you can't—," he started but was cut off by a curt voice.

"Save it, Optimus. I've heard this speech hundreds of times. At least now I know what it actually means. Did all those months worth of training mean nothing to you?"

"Stop making a scene," he let out exasperatedly. What a horrible choice of words.

"Make a scene?" she restated, making sure she heard right. "Make a scene?" The words came again with more fury behind them. "You shouldn't care if I make a scene or not, I'm your sparkmate, you should be supporting me!" Nova argued. "Or are you embarrassed of me? All these vorns of hiding, were you doing it to protect me or to make sure no one else saw my mistakes?"

"Nova, you know it's not like that!" Optimus began to plead, voice getting louder by the syllable.

"Yeah, you're right. You're not worried about your image; you just want to keep me locked up, don't you? It's too dangerous when it comes to Nova. Now that I'm finally prepared for a low-level mission, it's still too dangerous!"

"Of course it's too dangerous! If it means I could lose you again, then I don't want to risk it!" he rebutted, anger steaming off his armor.

"I thought bonding with someone meant more trust in this relationship when it seems you don't trust me at all. I can do this, Optimus, you know I can," Nova tried to reason, though her efforts were futile. Maybe it had something to do with the unnecessary bitter in her tone.

Her words stung him right in the spark. She was questioning their bond and so early in the relationship as well. No, he wouldn't let this love fall apart. He has worked too hard for too long to get where he is and no trivial tribulation will stand in the way.

As Optimus was about to defend himself and try to save the day, Nova took his momentary pause to end the conversation herself.

"You know, don't even bother. I don't want another lie fed to me," she said with an icy tone, turning on her heel and picking up Bonnie on her way to wherever was furthest away from Optimus.

_Nova, please—,_ he tried, before being slammed forcefully out of their bond. He really screwed up this time.

"Mommy, are you mad?" Bonnie asked innocently, detecting the hate oozing through every crevice her mother had.

Nova paused a little from her stalking and gazed at her daughter with tired optics.

"Yes, honey, but I'm not mad at you," she comforted, giving her a small hug.

"Oh… Why you mad at Daddy?"

_Well, there's the million dollar question._

"Sweetie, Daddy did something bad, that's why I'm mad," she explained simply.

"Please don' be mad. I don' like it," Bonnie pleaded, burying her helm into her mother neck.

"Maybe you're right," Nova said with a sigh. She ended up where the two 'Bots where getting ready to leave. Prowl and Mirage seemed to be in an intense conversation, leaving Bee to just watch them in the sidelines. "Or maybe…"

Nova placed Bonnie down on her feet and planted a kiss onto her head. "Sweetie, go find Ironhide. Tell him that he's got childcare duty."

"Chi'tare doody," Bonnie tried repeating.

"Close enough. Watch where you step and don't talk to strangers. Go, hon," Nova told her, sending off the hopping little sparkling. "Hey, Bee," she whispered, shifting down into her human form. "I have a favor to ask."

Bumblebee knew what she was going to ask and began backing up, whirring and clicking disapprovingly.

"Slaggit, Bee, did you bust your vocals _again_?" She didn't give him time to answer when she just went on with her scheme. "Whatever, I'll fix it later. Look, I need you to take me with you guys. Optimus may not think I'm ready for this, but I know I am. Just let me prove myself. At this rate, he would keep me locked up like some sort of pet, and we all know that that's Megatron's thing."

Bumblebee thought about this for a bit, weighing his options. He could let his sister tag along and eventually give her the boost she needs, or he could tell her to stay, keeping her safe from any harm. With the former, he might spend time in the brig for treason. With the latter, his sister could hate him for a long time. _A few weeks in the brig is nothing compared to a lifetime without your best friend,_ he finally decided.

Shifting down to his alt-mode, Bumblebee opened the door to a grateful Nova. "Don't say I don't do anything for ya," his radio played.

"I love you, Baby 'Bot," she squealed quietly, making sure not to catch anyone's attention.

_Please let this be the right thing to do._

* * *

><p><em>Yayz! Oh wait, I mean, oh noes! Nova's a rebel on edge and this cannot end pretty. Anywhoozles, like I said chapter tomorrow and weekend. If you haven't already, check out <span>Cairistona<span>'s story because chapters 59 and 61 are made by me!_

_**~Replies~**_

_**Dreaming Out Loud since '98: **Well, if you want to get technical, it is my birthday today because I was born in the Philippines. But since I now live in America, my birthday is tomorrow. Still, I thank you for your greeting. It means the world to me! And of course you can use my name in your profile, I won't mind. Thanks so much for your support. It's the best birthday gift anyone could give me ;)._

_**DarkAngelMel2: **Hiya! Hope you don't mind that I literally gave Sunny and Sides your number but they were a little desperate to win that bet, heheh. And you are right, you don't want to know what these 'Bots bet on. Some things are just unsettlingly specific. Yesh, you did hear right, sparklings with OP! I've got plans for that, for sure. As to Sides' personality, I don't think he's got the power to change, but hey, that's why he's lovable, right?  
><em>

_**~Don't be a stranger ;D**  
><em>


	22. The Truth Sucks

_Happy Birthday to moi! Oh, and to my readers who celebrate this, Happy Thanksgiving! To everyone else, Happy November! Okay, now that that is done and over with, let's get this chapter on the road._

**_Alter Ego: _**_Can I say the disclaimer?_

_**Me: I don't own anything!** No you may not, I'm running late for a party and I have yet to go through the grueling routine of getting ready!  
><em>

* * *

><p>"I'Hide," Bonnie chirped, tapping on the bottom of the hefty mech's leg.<p>

"Ironhide, Bonnie," he told her, kneeling in order to become more level.

"I-yun-hide," she enunciated, quirking an optic ridge to see if she said it correctly.

"Nice try, keep working on it, sparkling. What was it you needed?" Ironhide picked her up, straitening back to his full height.

"Mommy said, 'Chi'tare doody,'" Bonnie relayed, giggling when he stroked the top of her helm.

"Chi'tare do—? Oh! Childcare duty," he thought out, bringing Bonnie over towards his quarters. "Why does your mother need me to watch you?"

"I don't know," she said with a shrug.

"Maybe we should look for her, just in case." Bonnie gave him an affirmative nod as he let her down. Ironhide promptly changed his course and headed for the control room, where he last saw Nova.

"Hide?" Bonnie asked, tilting her head as she struggled to keep up with the mech's long strides.

"Yes, dearspark."

"Why is Mommy mad at Daddy?"

The weapon specialist froze in his tracks, quickly finding his way out of that question. What was he supposed to tell her?

"Uh, um-uh… Well, Bonnie, that is a big 'Bot problem, okay? You don't need to worry about it, I promise," he quickly stumbled out.

"Okay," she piped, merrily skipping along once her guardian started moving again.

Crisis, fragging, averted.

Ironhide arrived at the control room, not surprised to see that it was only Prowl who returned to the place where tensions were raised only twenty minutes ago.

"Prowl, have you seen—?"

"Where's Uncle Bee?" Bonnie squeaked, bounding to the base of the black and white mech's feet. She could've sworn he was there the last time she was in that room.

"Mirage and he have left to attend a certain problem. What was it you needed, Ironhide?" Prowl stated calmly.

"We were looking for Nova. You seen her anywhere?" he asked again, trying not to laugh as he spotted Bonnie begin to poke around Prowl's work.

"I haven't seen her since the earlier incident," the strategist offered, quickly quelling the toddler of her antics.

"She's with Uncle Bee!" Bonnie gasped, trotting over to Ironhide so he could pick her up.

"What?" Prowl asked incredulously. Boy, were his processors flying at the sound of this news. So many 'Bots would be in trouble if what this little femme was saying was true.

"Yeah, she went with Uncle Bee! I saw her!" Bonnie began to wonder why the mechs around her suddenly became very quiet. It wasn't the same quiet as when people talked without her hearing, these two were just frozen. They reminded her of the action figures she sees on the television.

"I have to alert, Prime."

"No, no, no, no!" Ironhide blurted immediately, just as fast as Prowl did. The mech in question looked at him skeptically, sizing up whatever Ironhide's true intentions may be.

"Explain yourself," he commanded with apprehension.

"Look, Optimus is going to blow a fuse if he finds out and all Pit will break loose. If we let Nova go on with whatever it is she wants accomplished, then no one will get hurt. We all know she can handle herself, and besides, she's got two mechs with her. Nothing can go wrong." Ironhide was feeling pretty good about his argument. That femme had come a long way and she was buried deep inside his spark as one of the greatest companions he would ever know.

And why wouldn't she be? Without Nova, Ironhide would never have met Chromia.

"There is always room for mishaps. I must tell, Prime. The repercussions given are rightfully distributed," Prowl said heartlessly.

"Come on, Prowl. Find it in your spark to give her a chance. If she doesn't do this, how will she ever prove herself to Optimus?" He let out a sigh as he stared Prowl right in the optic.

"I'm afraid that I would agree with Prime on that decision. She is still very new to fighting in general. It would not be a logical idea for Nova to be sent off so soon."

Ironhide had it to about here with the mech. This was so infuriating!

"Prowl sla—," he paused when a very impressionable sparkling began to watch them intently. "Ahem. Prowl, you do not know what's at stake here. How can she possibly gain any experience if you won't give her a chance to get some?" he argued gruffly.

"Nova's _life_ is at stake, Ironhide! That's all I need to know for my decision to be set in stone!" Prowl countered, just as loud. Nova meant no less to Ironhide than she did to him. It was always Nova who kept Prowl on his toes, even if it was excruciatingly annoying for the first few vorns of them knowing each other.

Bonnie began whimpering at the volume the two mechs seemed to have adopted. She inched backwards, curling inwards with every word that was spat out.

"We can't let her live her life behind a desk! She was born to fight, Prowl, let her! I've seen what she can do and her talent needs to be put to use!" Ironhide growled.

"But we can't let her get hurt! Contrary to what you think, she is a very delicate femme. Not to mention, trouble-prone. She wasn't even stationed to do any fighting and look what happened! Nova now has mental scars that can never heal!"

"We all have scars, Prowl! There's one on my optic as we speak! What more do you expect? We're in a war! This is reality!" the weapon specialist boomed.

"Don't you think I've calculated that? We may have scars, Ironhide, but she doesn't deserve any! She's still just an innocent youngling!" Prowl rebutted, sounding almost desperate.

"She's not a youngling anymore! We've done the best we could but this is her closure. She has to be prepared in this slagging war! Already, Nova has encountered Megatron _and _Starscream in one sitting! Don't you think that if she knew what to do, she would have? This is what we're helping her prepare for!"

"I'd rather lay my life on the line than force her to fight! Nova is naïve and reckless. And she can be stubborn and stupid at so many times. She is not fit for this type of thing and I refuse to let it happen!" Prowl spat, letting silence fall around them.

Bonnie accidently backed up onto a small, roller chair and fell backwards from it. She took that opportunity cry. Not only because the fall hurt, but because she didn't like seeing her guardians like this. They were friends, so why weren't they acting like it?

"No, Bonnie, don't cry," Ironhide whispered, dropping his anger and cradling the small being in his arms.

"I don' like fight," she managed to hiccup. "It's scary."

"I apologize, little one," Prowl started solemnly, "We didn't mean to make such a scene." He sighed and dropped his optics, regretting his volume. "Will you forgive us?"

"Mm-hmm," she squeaked, rubbing the water out of her optics. "Is Mommy in trouble?"

Ironhide automatically glared at Prowl, daring him to go on. If that idiot strategist was going to report this to Prime, he'd have Ironhide to answer to.

"Not yet, dearspark. Not yet," Prowl relayed vaguely. The mech quickly ran through a couple normal-case scenarios determining how long Nova could possibly take on this mission. "But she will be if she's not back within two-and-a-half hours." As much as Prowl hated it, his friend was somewhat right. Nova needed to prove herself.

"Thank you," Ironhide said civilly, rocking the dozing, little girl in his arms.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Honeybee, we almost there?" Nova asked, stretching in the front seat. She had just woken up from a horrible nap. The only reason it was bad was because of the nagging feeling that said she shouldn't be there. Oh well, too late now.<p>

"We're halfway there, we're looking back now… I'm almost there…" his radio played.

"Cute," she scoffed. "Give me some numbers, Bee."

_Well, she's very irritable,_ he thought to himself. The thought was waved away when he saw the conflict in his sister's optics.

"We're five minutes away," Bumblebee whirred and clicked in their connected language. It confused the both of them greatly as to how Nova understood him when, in fact, they were not actually related. Regardless, he accepted it anyway.

"Oh, goody," Nova mumbled sarcastically. "Did I miss anything? Have you pissed off Mirage yet?"

"Actually, no. We've established a mutual silence. You're just lucky he hasn't detected you yet." Bumblebee glanced at the sleek, blue Ferrari in front of him warily, trying his best to disguise Nova's signature as his own.

"If that mech figures out I'm here, he'll sell me out in a heartbeat," she offered with a wry laugh.

"That, he would. But you know he's loyal to the Autobots," Bee reminded, following him as Mirage drifted off to the side, slowing down.

"Oh yeah, of course, Mirage is a good guy… when he's not criticizing me." Their conversation ended there when Mirage transformed behind a thick clump of trees, obviously wanting Bumblebee to transform as well.

"Get out here," he whispered to her, quietly opening his door before his comrade could spot the femme hiding.

"So, you know what we're looking for?" Mirage asked him, making a quick scan around the immediate area.

"Nothing on you… I've got nothing…"

"Is it hard to always use the radio?" he asked in such a way that Bumblebee felt slightly offended.

Nova jogged further, deeper into the forest preserve before shifting herself. Since she was previously a scout and a medic, Nova kept the upgrades it came with, thus giving her the ability to be able to pick up a faint signal ahead of her. She walked carefully to approach this little blip. But then, all of a sudden, it disappeared. Then it reappeared, yet its location became very vague.

"What the Pit?" Nova murmured, moving to locate this odd signal. A couple more steps told her that she should be on top of this strange mark. "Where are you?" She looked around, seeing as how there where only trees and clouds in her sight. The ground seemed fairly much as it should. "_What_ are you?" What on Earth could be possibly making this sig—?

"What are you doing here?"

"Ah!" Nova screamed at the random voice that popped up behind her. The mech in question revealed himself as none other than Mirage, their neighborhood spy. "What the _frag_ Mirage? Where do you come off scaring me like that?" she scolded quite loudly, feeling her spark beat twice as fast.

"I asked you a question, femme. What are you doing here?" he inquired, same bored tone as he used the first time.

"If you must know, I came here to help investigate." Nova straightened her body and crossed her arms, trying to be the dominant one in this conversation, lest things turn for the worst.

"I wasn't aware that you were coming with. Didn't Optimus tell you, you couldn't come?" Mirage asked, a mischievous smirk daring to creep onto his face.

Nova eyed him for a while, trying to estimate on the proper response.

"What's your game, here, mech? I know that you don't really care for an answer, so what is it you do want?" she mused suspiciously, circling around the spy. Unfortunately for her, Mirage was smarter than he looked.

"Ah, I see how it is. You ran away, didn't you? Well, if you're worried about me ratting you out, you should be." He enjoyed the slight panicked look that flashed across Nova's face, smiling cruelly to himself.

"What? Mirage, please don't! At least—!"

"Nope, you're coming with me. Come on, no whining," he interrupted snappily.

"No, wait, Mirage—!"

"With… me…" He pointed to himself as he explained slowly. Nova flailed her arms around a bit, stuttering nonsense in a horrible attempt at a valid argument.

"Can't I help? I mean, I'm already here, might as well, right?" she tried, talking to the back of the already leaving mech.

"Mm, no. Optimus would have my aft if you got hurt under my watch. You are staying with me until we go back to the base." Mirage began to use his spy abilities, trying to sniff out the weak signal while lecturing Nova at the same time.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," she grumbled to herself, crossing her arms and hunching over to brood behind him.

Little did she know, a dark shadow was watching them, planning with perfect timing. It glided from tree to tree, looking for the opportune moment. It found the blue mech extremely annoying but still, it had a job to do. It was only a matter of time.

"Stupid Mirage, thinking he's the boss of me," Nova muttered angrily to herself, following him like a good girl. "Just because he's in charge of this _mission_, he thinks he's in charge of _me_, too. I'll show him. When I get back to base, I'm going to—Mph!" A pair of cold, sharp claws gripped her mouth plates shut and pulled her deep into the darker regions of the forest.

"… So that's why, Nova, I am a spy and you are not. Because I am vigilant, always attentive to everything around me; one with my surroundings," he narrated, striking a few "stealthy" poses.

"Talking to the moon… No one there…" Bumblebee played, looking strangely at Mirage.

"What do you mean? I'm talking to…" He turned around, expecting to see a brooding femme but was greeted by empty forest. "I'm slagged."

* * *

><p>Optimus paced in his office, half steaming in anger, other half sweating with worry. His sparkmate had the audacity to undermine him in front of their comrades. This was both a very disrespectful and bold move on her part. Then again, she was only doing it so she could have a chance to prove herself to him. To be perfectly honest, he wasn't all that fair with her. Should he apologize? What if his actions chased her away permanently? Would Optimus Prime be a name disgraced because he broke a spark bond?<p>

No. He would never let it get that far. But what could he do? Nova won't talk to him and she wouldn't open up their bond. This was worse than the time he found out she was pregnant. How did he fix that blunder? Surely giving her a customized breakfast and apologizing wouldn't work this time.

Optimus needed help. Badly. There were so many questions but who had enough experience to know what to do? That's it! Ironhide. He's had a femme for a long time now; he'd know how to fix this.

And so the Prime's mind was set. The mech stopped pacing and left his office, trying to find the only 'Bot on Earth who could help him.

::Ironhide, I need to speak with you,:: he sent with restrained emotions.

::W-what's wrong? Did something happen? I didn't do it,:: he replied unsteadily, not knowing if Optimus had figured out that Nova was gone.

::Um, actually, no, I just needed to talk to you. Is something the matter, friend?:: He knew that Ironhide was unusually hostile in his answer, but the reason as to that was still undefined.

::Oh, of-of course. Nothing's the matter. I am in the recreation room with Bonnie right now,:: Ironhide answered, trying to sound completely innocent.

::Yes, I will arrive shortly.::

"Bonnie, can you do me a favor and play in your corner for a while? Your adair and I need to talk about big 'Bot business, okay?" he asked her, crouching to her level.

"What's 'adair?'" she asked while being scooted off by two large servos.

"It's Cybertronian for 'father.' I'll teach you the language someday but right now I need you to not pay attention to the big 'Bots. Promise me?"

"Okay!" she giggled, hugging him quickly around the neck before bouncing to her place.

Ironhide envied the little girl. She lived her life without worry or care, the exact opposite of the mech he was going to talk to. Speaking of the devil…

"Prime, you needed me?" the black mech coughed, straightening to a more respectable stance.

"Yes, I was hoping you'd help me in my… relationship dilemma," Optimus started a little ashamedly.

"Ah, you're worried about Nova. Let me guess, she shut you out?" Ironhide automatically answered, seeing as how he was very experienced in this kind of thing… not that that was ever good.

"Completely closed off the bond."

"Well, Prime, since I'm one of your oldest and trusted friends, let me shed some light on this subject. You're screwed. Simple as that," he offered with a shrug.

"I think that's already been established, Ironhide. Maybe you want to help me figure out how to _not_ be screwed?" Optimus asked, his patience slightly thinning.

"All I can tell you is that there is going to be a lot of groveling, begging, apologizing, and admitting that you were wrong. No matter how right you think you are, you're always wrong. That's the first rule that all mech's should know. I'm surprised you haven't learned that sooner," Ironhide thought out, clapping a hand on Optimus shoulder. There was so much this mech needed to know about femmes.

"I don't know, that doesn't seem like it's enough. Wouldn't she think that I'm just saying meaningless words?" the leader asked, hunched over on the couch.

"Not unless you mean it," Ironhide countered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Of course, you also have to do something special. I don't know what history you have with Nova so it depends mostly on that. If you can get her to smile, then you know you're on her good side, even if it seems like she's still mad. And her smile has to be a legitimate smile, not a sarcastic one."

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with the humans, we should've come with instruction manuals," he sighed, hydraulics hissing as he buried his face with two servos.

* * *

><p>By some, unreasonable power of Primus, the little ball of fun all have come to know as Bonnie skipped on over and decided to brighten those two's day.<p>

"Hi, Da—um—Adair!" she greeted, making an "Uppie" motion.

"Bonnie, child, I told you to stay in your corner," Ironhide whispered, trying to shoo her away.

"It's fine, Ironhide. Where did you learn that word, dearspark?" Optimus asked the little girl he bounced on his leg.

"Hide told me! And Prowl told me Mommy is Lalaith!" Bonnie explained, somehow using her fingers to display her words.

"Oh, did he, now?" Optimus smiled to his child. "Well, if only he told you how I can talk to your lalaith into forgiving me."

"You can't, she's with Uncle Bee," Bonnie told him, being oblivious to Ironhide shushing motions.

"She's… where?" he asked, glancing between his weapons specialist and daughter. "Ironhide, do you know anything of this?"

"Um, uh," Ironhide stuttered, sweating bullets if he could.

"Ironhide… where… is… Nova?" Optimus gritted through his teeth, heating up with condensed anger.

"She's, um—" A message sent by Mirage over the com-links interrupted everyone's business at that moment.

::Um, Prime? I think it's safe to say that we lost your sparkmate.::

* * *

><p><em>Oh my, just what will happen next? DRAMA! That's what. The next chapter has got a chock full of that, I assure you. Thanks all for your kindness and your greetings!<em>

_**~Replies~**_

_**DarkAngelMel2: **Nova was obviously in shock when she defeated that big lug. It's safe to say that she probably will never do that again. Sunny and Sides are like her surrogate brothers, therefore they tease her as if she was their sister. I can't tell you how many times Bumblebee gets jealous because they play with her and not him (but only because he's always on missions that have to deal with Sam). Oh, by the way, when you hoped that nothing would go wrong, well... Thanks for your loves and supports, you are equally as wonderful and awesome as me! I shall go party now!_

_**a Wiccan: **You could not have found my stories at a better time than now! Since it is obviously my birthday. Thanks for being intrigued enough from my 84 fic to travel all the way over here. I hope you enjoy my stories!_

_**Dreaming Out Loud since '98: **Hide and Sunny are probably signing some sort of contract that says they will never speak of that horrible day ever again. I know I would ;). Well, I'm glad you love Bonnie because in here, she ends up saving the day, albeit indirectly. Oh, also, le gasp! Bonnie was playing with chemicals? Ooh, Nova is so gonna go mental over this.  
><em>

_**~Don't be a stranger ;D** _


	23. Forgiveness All Around!

_Okay, before you all start yelling at me, I know I said I was going to post something last weekend but I have good reason for not doing so. In fact, I have multiple good reasons. One, you guys had two chapters on that one week. Two, I made this chapter longer than usual (so obviously that means longer reviews, right? *nudge-nudge*). Three, I have been so busy during school (as usual). Four, I have been touching up the chapters I have in my Doc Manager. (Those of you who write stories know what I'm talking about). My Doc Manager is finally clean and clutter free. And five, for the past week, I've been writing the rest of the story. It will end on chapter 26 unless I somehow squeeze in another chapter or two like I usually do. That's only three chapters away and let me tell you, the ending is far from what you expect. _

_**Alter Ego#2: **Don't you dare do that to us again!_

_**Me: **But... didn't you just hear the news? I finished the story! You should be proud of me!_

_**Alter Ego#2: **Oh, fine, whatever. **P.S. You don't own Transformers or Hasbro!**_

_**Me: **Must you remind me of my failures?  
><em>

* * *

><p>In the deep of a Virginia based, forest preserve, a struggling femme tried to kick her way out of a stranger's grasp.<p>

"Stand still, femme, I'm not going to—Ah! You bit me?" the one holding her growled.

"What do you want from m-_e_!" Nova's word faltered as she screeched when something plugged into a transfer port in the back of her head. That port was usually used for intimate or otherwise dire situations. It's also a very sensitive port so doctored memories or holes in important files where instantly spotted when transferred through there.

And that was all the proof Barricade needed.

"Get your slagging hands off of…" Nova trailed from her argument when a sudden wave of memories crashed through her. Memories that contained her.

* * *

><p>"Cade, get your 'Con aft over here," a younger Nova scolded playfully when the two were at one of the lesser guarded Decepticon base. Barricade was stationed to do some light maintenance there and Nova decided to tag along, seeing as how no one would figure it out anyway.<p>

"No, you're going to hit me," he rebutted stubbornly, staying a safe, couple yards away from her. He had just stolen her Decepticon disguise and knew that she would strip his paint when she got it back.

She got it back.

"No, no, I promise I won't hit you. Autobot swear," she stated solemnly, raising her right servo.

"Really?" Barricade asked apprehensively. He creeped slowly forward, putting up his defenses.

"Come on, I'm not gonna hit you…" Nova restated calmly before narrowing her optics and pouncing on the mech in front of her. "I'm just going to end you!" she growled menacingly, biting on one of the spikes on Barricade's helm.

"Ah! You gave me your word as an Autobot!" he roared kiddingly, ripping her off his back and tackling her to the floor.

"But I'm a Decepticon right now, stupid! And besides, I'm not an Autobot yet," she giggled, even more so when instead of hurting her, Barricade started tickling her.

"Barricade; femme torture unnecessary," Soundwave stated, walking into the brawl. "Inquiring femme; business related to Decepticon cause."

Barricade knew that his superior wanted to know where Nova came from and if she was a threat. Too bad Barricade was a bad liar.

"She's not an Autobot!" he immediately answered, earning a scoff from the femme underneath him.

"Ugh, Cade, you idiot," she murmured, pushing him off. "Soundwave, stop teasing him," she said with a smile.

"Wait, you two know each other?" Barricade asked, stunned on this new information.

"Yeah, don't worry. He knows I'm an Autobot." Nova saw the relief flood into Barricade's face when the news was told.

"Decepticon disguise; glitched from earlier brawl," Soundwave stated, gesturing to Nova's broken 'Con insignia. When placed on top of her Autobot insignia, it shifted her armor slightly to make her fit in with the other Decepticons.

"Oh, Blackout said he'd take care of that. It's been breaking for a while." As if on cue, the insignia fell off of her helm and broke in half when it met the floor. "Slag."

"Blackout knows about you, too? You know, I'm starting to feel a little betrayed here," Barricade huffed grumpily.

"Aw, don't be that way. There's enough Nova to go around," she chuckled, making as seductive/innocent of a pose as she could.

"Tell me, femme," he said after a breathy laugh, "who else knows of you?"

"Just you three and Megatron." Nova picked up her disguise and tried patching it up.

"Megatron? The weak one?"

"Hey, he's not weak, he's strategizing," Nova argued lamely. She was thus rewarded by a weak chortle.

"Whatever you say," Barricade mused, waving her off.

"Femme's safety; depleting. Appropriate action; go back to Autobot base," Soundwave reminded, doing a quick scan to see if anyone might find them.

"Fine, I'll bring her back. Come on."

* * *

><p>"W-wha…?" a present-day Nova dazed, recovering from the multiple other memories that flooded into her systems.<p>

"Hush, femme, there is more," Barricade breathed weakly, straining to get the words out.

* * *

><p>"Barr-<em>i-<em>cade!" Nova pulsed in an angry whisper.

"What?" he whispered back, dragging her as they ran across an open alleyway.

"What do you mean 'what?' We could get caught!" she scolded, jumping effortlessly over a waist high crate.

"But we haven't…" he told her with a devilish smirk. He began to scale a building, Nova following close behind. "… Not yet."

"Are you crazy? We can both get into serious trouble!" she hissed, flying over the gaps of disconnected buildings.

"Like we haven't before," Barricade scoffed, quickly scooping her up and leaping onto a hovering garbage barge. Nova hopped out of his arms with enough time to spare so that she could pull him firmly onto the barge before he could fall three stories to his doom.

"Well, _I_ haven't before, just you!" she grouched out, stomping a foot on the ground. "Hey, where are you going? Whoa!"

"Try to keep up, Nova," he said impatiently, pulling her off the hovering vessel and onto the top of a nearby building. "You honestly didn't think I brought you all that way just to talk on a barge, did you?"

"You _are_ an enigma, Cade, I don't know _what _to expect." They dropped down a hole on the roof of the seemingly abandoned building. "Now I'm even _more _lost."

"Well, we're here," he chirped, looking triumphantly at her.

"Fine, for the sake of my patience, humor me," she said bitterly, "what was so fragging important that you had to wake me up in the middle of the night and drag me miles away from my home?"

A few seconds of relative silence passed.

"Hi."

"YOU BROKE INTO MY HOUSE AND PRACTICALLY STOLE ME FROM MY FAMILY JUST TO SAY 'HI?'" she screeched with a passion, holding onto his clavicle painfully. "WHAT THE FRAG IS WRONG WITH YOU?"

"Well, if you didn't want to celebrate the anniversary of your creation then you could've just told us," he scoffed.

"Wait, 'us?' What do you mean?" she asked, lighting her mood a little.

"Surprise, femme," Blackout greeted from what seemed to be out of nowhere. Soundwave followed behind him.

"What is this, Cade?" she turned to the now chuckling mech.

"Just thought you might want to celebrate this occasion with your fellow 'Cons before the Autobots go and ruin it," he rumbled as she let go of him.

"R-really? How sweet," she cooed, spark swelling. "Where's Megatron?"

"Lover-mech couldn't make it, said he'd make it up to you, though," Blackout informed, patting her on the back.

"Whatever, three out of four is still good. So what were you guys planning on doing?"

"Crime," Barricade automatically answered.

"Excuse me?" Nova asked, daring him to go on.

"Negative; given the nature of Nova's ways," Soundwave explained, smacking Barricade in the back of the helm.

"I was just kidding," he grumbled.

* * *

><p>Another memory flashed by, emitting a dull, buzzing sensation to Nova's helm. All this reminiscing made her feel like shutting down for a click or two. <em>This must be what Prowl feels when he overworks himself, <em>she thought randomly as she succumbed to the next file.

* * *

><p>"You're such an idiot!" Nova snapped in a hushed whisper.<p>

"_I'm _the idiot?" he returned in the same manner. "I'm not the one who left a mess! You're supposed to be cleaning your trail, not putting one down!"

"If you would just stop showing up unexpectedly and—oh I don't know—start warning me when you're going to visit, we wouldn't be _in this mess_!"

"Hey, we can still hear you—"

"But what we can't hear is an explanation," Sunstreaker cut through his brother's words, arms crossed and hate filling his air.

Nova and Barricade were arguing with their backs turned to the twins. Sideswipe had been following Nova after Barricade went to pick her up so she could spend the day with the 'Cons. Unfortunately, their usually untraceable routine was more or less sloppy that day.

"Nova, can you please explain this?" Sideswipe asked quietly. It was obvious he was a little hurt and was still disbelieving the situation. The very femme he trusted with his life was in cahoots with a 'Con! It's obvious that he was a little scarred.

"Yes, I'd love to hear more lies," Sunstreaker growled. He was more defensive about this. Sunny was not one to take misplaced trust lightly. The mech began questioning her entire existence at that moment.

"Fine, I'll tell you. But you need to know that not once have I ever tried to deceive you. I've never lied to you and I never want to," she started sincerely.

"What a load of slag," Sunstreaker commented rudely.

"Stop, I'm trying to tell you the truth!" she begged, on the verge of breaking down. The femme was very, very desperate.

"Sunny, let her talk," Sideswipe stated, no emotion in his voice. He didn't know what to think.

"Whatever."

"Look, I found the 'Cons and they found me all on accident. Not all of them know me, only four I think. And I promise, I did nothing to plot against any of the Autobots. I mean, you know I'm going to join them," she tried. Barricade scoffed in disgust when she said that. "Shut up," she whispered behind her.

"And why haven't you joined the Autobots? We have," Sunstreaker grilled.

"Why don't you ask them? Because I have no clue. Look, bottom line is I'm not some sort of Decepticon and I'm not a double agent. Please hear me. This is the truth." A pair of optics searched to connect to the twins' very souls. "I still love you guys. Can you forgive me?"

No one spoke for a while. It was obvious that the twins were talking to each other. Though not a sound could be heard, the twins' facial expressions explained it all.

"No, you say it!" Sunstreaker randomly blurted.

"No, you have to. I've already forgiven her," Sideswipe remarked.

"Fine," he growled, walking up to the hopeful femme. "We forgive you."

"You don't mean it," Nova whispered seriously. This was a very important matter to her considering these two were like family.

"Okay," he sighed, dropping his shoulders. "_I _forgive you… and so does Sides. This won't change anything between us. Unless you go behind our backs and stab us there." He growled the last part playfully though he was completely serious.

"Thank you. Permission to hug?" she asked him.

"Erm—" Sunstreaker didn't really get a say in it as she bent down to give him a quick hug. Nova went over to Sideswipe who was more accepting in the gesture.

"Can we go now?" Barricade huffed, waiting at the edge of this love fest.

"Where are you going?" Sideswipe asked as he detached from the femme.

"Today's usually the day the 'Cons bring in a bunch of high-grade. Cade knows where they hide the stash before giving out. We get the good batch. Want me to grab you some?" she asked, walking towards the impatient Barricade.

"Yes!"

"No," the two chimed at the same time.

"Come on, Sunny. It's high-grade. Top of the line high-grade. Live a little," Sideswipe egged, shaking his brother's shoulder.

"Fine, whatever," he offered light-heartedly.

* * *

><p>A few other memories flooded into Nova's processor before she collapsed to her knees. Barricade detached his cable and leant against a tree, resting his depleting strength.<p>

"Why-why did you show me that?" she whimpered, panting slightly.

"You needed to know our history… and you needed to know it was real… so you could trust me," he wheezed, sputtering some energon when he coughed.

"What happened to you?" she asked, crawling over to assess the damage. Even before he answered, she started fixing up what she could.

"I went into hiding. Megatron thinks I am offlined. It is obvious that fate was not kind to me," he explained, silently praising the femme and her magic fingers.

"Well, I'm not the same femme you remember. I have to bring you as a prisoner, now." For some reason, Nova felt guilty as she said those words. Like she was betraying him.

"I understand. To you, I must look like some sort of spy." He let out a weak and painful chuckle, only to be stopped by a concerned look on Nova's face. She helped sit him up straighter against the tree before going back to work on minor fixes.

"If you want me to be honest, yeah. Why did you look for me? What purpose will it serve you if you knew I was just going to put you in the brig?" she asked, adopting her motherly instincts.

"I… I…" It pained him to utter his words, in more ways than one, but he told himself that this is what needed to happen. His life would mean nothing if he didn't make this decision. Six little words could curve the entire fate of the universe and only he could control it.

"I want to become an Autobot."

* * *

><p>"Ironhide, you have a total of five astroseconds to tell me where Nova is or else my energon swords will meet you in a very unpleasant area," Optimus growled, standing to his full height and putting his daughter onto the couch.<p>

_What's worse? An angry Nova or an angry Optimus? _Ironhide thought to himself, quickly weighing his options.

"Optimus, to be perfectly honest, I'm more afraid of what Nova would do to me," he relayed truthfully. Why wouldn't he? Pit hath no fury like a femme scorned.

"Then you better start fearing me before I send you to the brig," Optimus threatened. His patience was gone now. The news of his lost femme was enough to completely corrupt Prime's bedside manners.

"Okay, okay, she went with Bumblebee and Mirage on that mission you told her not to go on," he spat out quickly. A growl escaped his leader's vocals that pushed him to try to defend himself. "I swear, Prime, I had nothing to do with this, I didn't even know until Bonnie told me and Prowl knew it, too!"

An almost blissful silence passed. The only sound was the primal breathing Optimus was doing and the slow whirrings of both their systems. Ironhide wanted the silence to last a lifetime, but he knew too well what it was.

The calm before the storm.

"PROWL!"

Optimus stormed down the halls, paying little attention to those under his feet. A few machines took the brunt of his rage. His femme—_his_ femme!—had gone off, completely against his orders. And to add insult to injury, his trusted and loyal comrades had the audacity to _not_ tell him! Someone is getting slagged and they're getting slagged soon!

The unsuspecting military strategist heard the roar that could only belong to his superior and knew what was coming. He quickly said his prayers and readied himself for the worst. He should've told Prime earlier, then Nova probably wouldn't be lost. All his years of getting out of tight situations couldn't get him out of this one. This time, he had to face it head on.

"Prowl!" Optimus hollered, slamming the door open furiously. "You knew of this mutiny, give me one good reason not to rip you apart and send you to the scrap heap."

"I was under the impression that Nova needed this chance to prove herself to you and that she could handle herself. Obviously, I was wr-wrong." He choked a little when it came to admitting his processor failure, but it was the right thing to do.

Optimus paused a little. Even in a state such as this, he couldn't punish Prowl for being honest. Restraining as much of himself as he could, Optimus gave commands left and right.

"Ironhide, assemble a small, able-bodied group to accompany me to Virginia. Prowl, tell Mirage and Bumblebee to stay there and keep looking for Nova. One of you, get someone to watch Bonnie. Meet me out on the tarmac in ten," he dictated, transforming and driving angrily outside. He barely hit Lennox who was walking with Glenn and Leo.

"Whoa, what happened to him?" Will asked as he walked into the control room.

"I'm afraid what he's experiencing is the paranoia of having a sparkmate. He is still at a very early stage of this relationship; it's where the mech becomes somewhat of an overprotective beast. Even more so because Optimus was already very overprotective of Nova in the first place," Prowl explained calmly, sending a message to the two down in Virginia at the same time.

"Wait, back up, I keep hearing that word. Sparkmate. Care to tell me what that is?" Lennox questioned, suddenly worried about the Autobot leader's mental state.

"Is it, like, marriage or something?" Leo asked.

"Naw, man," Glenn interrupted, "it's probably some sort of ritual that involves the cosmos, right?"

"Um, no, in simplest terms, they are now one half of each other. Unfortunately, this also means that if one were to die, the other will soon follow. It's a slow and excruciatingly painful experience. Since Optimus is a Prime, he will not perish if Nova does. Albeit he will still suffer the pain," he relayed solemnly.

"Some question if that was a gift from Primus… or a curse," Ironhide added gruffly, transforming and moving to find the others.

"Talk about for better or worse," Lennox thought out.

"Till death do 'em part," Glenn sighed.

* * *

><p>"Cade, I don't know how I can get you out of here. I mean, you're kind of… heavier than me and, um, I'm not really known for my strength," Nova confided, sizing up her abilities and Barricade's… well, um… vastness.<p>

"You came here with two others, just help me get to them," he told her, struggling to get up. Due to the idiocy of Nova, his legs were more or less inoperable at the moment.

"All right, I'll just try to drag you there… Yep, super easy," Nova thought to herself, helping her new friend to stand. Considering the fact that Nova was still taller than him, she had to crouch unbelievably low in order to let Barricade awkwardly piggy-back on her.

"Primus Cade, what have you been ingesting?" she grunted as they slowly made their way back.

"Well if _someone_ wasn't so distracted, I could've just walked there," he growled. "Tell me, Nova, what happened back in Utah? I heard that Megatron captured and brought you there but that was the last I know before I went into hiding."

"Oh, well, real interesting factoid, um… Starscream raped me and Megatron is a lying, cheating, conniving jerk that used me," she stated, holding back the bitter.

"Hmm, that doesn't sound like Megatron, but you've got Starscream down," Barricade told her. From what he knew—and that was a lot—Megatron had loved her with his entire being. Lying? Cheating? Something wasn't adding up. Was this… some sort of plan?

"Whatever, it doesn't matter anyway. We promised to pretend nothing ever happened, to start completely over. So what happened in the past, those memories you gave me, to him they mean nothing," she huffed, mostly because she was quickly losing breath.

_No, it couldn't be._ They all made a pact back in the day; Nova was their _secret_, not their secret _weapon_. Nor was she a toy meant to be broken. To them, Nova was their one chance to do something right in this Primus forsaken world.

"Okay, so I told you something, now it's time for you to answer a question for me. If you and Megsy are all buddy-buddy, why are you running away? I mean, wouldn't he give you some sort of pass?" In her head, it was pretty clear. If Barricade did something bad, Megatron could easily overlook it. If Barricade joined the Autobots, Megatron wouldn't care, right?

"Well, I'm sure he's told you already but for argument's sake; he has an image to keep. If he found out I'm not dead, and that I've been helping the other side, he'd be forced to end my existence. Simple."

"Oh, well that's not good." Nova squeaked, reaching her limit with the mass on top of her. "Cade… Cade," she whimpered, hydraulics hissing.

"What, what is it?" He quickly met his answer as they collapsed onto the ground. Luckily for him, he landed on nice, soft grass. But Nova, on the other hand, was greeted by a jagged rock to the abdomen.

"Gah!" she yelped as half her body chipped off. For that one klik of pain, she dropped the block on her bond, letting the pain flood through. In turn, she felt the pure rage blasting from Optimus' spark. Saying that it barely affected her currently sorry state would be a lie. If anything, it made her cry out in more pain.

"Nova, are you okay?" Barricade asked, quickly crawling to her side.

"Fragging peachy!" she hollered, gritting through the torture. Her body writhed in awkward spasms as the liquid fire rushed around her body. "Don't just stand there! Help me!" Nova screeched at him.

"I'm not exactly a medic, femme! Don't yell at me!" he argued.

"I'm sorry, did you want me to whisper as I slowly die!" she bit back sarcastically.

"Well, maybe I won't help you," Barricade scoffed disbelievingly.

"Cade!"

"Fine, fine. Tell me what to do," he reinforced, putting on a more serious tone.

"C-connect the main… energon line," Nova gasped, back arching occasionally. A breath of relief escaped her as she felt the energon flow regulate. "Okay, okay, next, um." She took in a deep breath before hesitantly looking down at herself and seeing the damage. A wave of nausea passed her quickly. "Oh, Primus, that's scary," she whimpered, shutting her optics closed.

"Come on, Nova, what do I do?" he berated her, placing things that seemed to go there.

"Um, just-just plug in the blue cord and click the armor back on."

Just a few steps away, Mirage and Bumblebee were moving towards the noise.

"Did you hear that?" Mirage asked, "It sounded like Nova. I know those frail screams for help anywhere."

Bumblebee rolled his optics at the unnecessary insult but snapped to attention when more voices were heard.

"She sounds like she's in pain. It's coming from here," he stated, rushing to the scene. Sure enough they found the others, although the scene looked very out of context. "Holy Primus! He's eating her!" Mirage yelped, shoving Bumblebee in front of him.

The young scout knew that Barricade wasn't that savage, but he still took up an offensive stance, battle mask drawn. He hasn't ever had a good image of Barricade, considering that they fought heavily the last time they met.

"What? No, this isn't what it—Oof!"

Barricade was tackled away from Nova by none other than Bee, himself. After Mirage came over his initial shock, he joined the fight as well.

"St-stop, you idiots!" Nova yelled, trying to see past the offending boulder. Alas, she could not. "Guys, quit it!" Her voice echoed through the forest before the two mechs slowly walked over to her. Bumblebee helped her stand up and supported her.

"Why do you want us to stop? I was about to kill him." Mirage snarled at Barricade, earning a scowl of disgust from him.

"Because he was helping me, now move before you break him—Whoa, too late." She saw the semi-distorted mech laying there. "Does anyone else want to get hurt?" she asked at no one in particular, obviously very angry right now.

Bumblebee let out a few clicks of apology, trying to sound like the victim in this situation.

"Oh, mute it, Bee," she grumbled, dropping down from Bee's grasp and crawling over to the fallen mech.

"And you're helping this Decepticon because…?" Mirage asked, watching as the femme went to work.

"I told you, because he helped me," Nova explained with a huff.

"And since when have we helped 'Cons just because they helped us? Oh yeah, never! Because they _don't_ help us!" he argued, obviously being ignored.

"Shut up and help," she grumbled at him.

"Hold on, got a ping from Optimus. Says he and a few others are on his way," Mirage relayed, not wanting to help her at all. He let Bumblebee do the work that he is otherwise too esteemed to do.

"Oh great, he's pissed, right?" Nova asked, beginning to fear the worst.

"Oh yeah, Sides just told me he tore up a bit of the base and is now shouting hollow yet menacing threats at everyone. I've never seen Boss 'Bot so ticked. Good job, Nova, a new low," Mirage chided, wiping off his smirk when he saw the almost painful glare on her face.

"That mech just needs to calm the frag down. He needs to learn that I'm a big 'Bot and that I can handle myself. Geez, a femme loses two dads and gets three," she muttered to herself.

"Two dads?" Mirage asked.

"Yeah, I lost my biological dad and my surrogate, and then I get my biological dad back while Ratchet and Prime act like they own me. Well, technically Optimus owns me now, but let's just look past that, yes?" Nova worked a little more before she could do nothing else.

"There, that's as much as I can do with what I have. You're just going to have to get Ratchet to look at you later," Nova told him, sitting him up. "I don't suppose that I have to fix you two," she commented to the other mechs, with which she was answered by two "No's."

A deep rumble could be faintly detected from the group's position in the forest. It seemed to be not too far away.

"Sounds like they're almost here. Come on, let's try to get your pet out of here," Mirage sneered at Nova.

"Hey, just because you had the life of a spoiled, little, rich mech back in the day doesn't mean you can order me around like your servant. I'm just as ranked as you are," Nova scolded, hands placed angrily on hips.

"Sorry, I don't mean to talk condescending, I just do. Something to do with my superiority," he returned, holding back a smirk at Nova's reaction. He didn't really hate her, it's more of a habit to piss her off. A sport almost.

"You know what, whatever. As long as you help me with carrying him, I'm good," she said, trying to push away the antics of the annoying, blue one.

The three did amazing work as they hoisted Barricade to a closer spot to the road. From there, Optimus' team could be easily spotted. They were more or less than five minutes away.

"He's gonna kill me, I know it. First he's going to shout, then he's going to break something, and then I'm brigged," Nova summarized.

"Or he'll have angry-interface with you," Mirage blurted randomly. Bumblebee started choking and Nova gave him a disgusted look. Barricade was just trying to hold back a few chuckles. "What? It's normal for a mech to do that after they feel like they've almost lost their mate. This is basic science, shouldn't you know this? Didn't you moonlight as a scientist or something?"

"First, I am a scientist. Second, you're talking about psychology. And third, I did moonlight as a psychologist," she answered, shuddering internally at the mech. Now that she thought about it, Optimus probably would have angry-interface with her. Or angry-sex, whatever medium they were using didn't matter, it would still be angry.

"I know what you're thinking about. Now stop it before I puke," Bumblebee clicked, getting ready to purge his tanks.

"Hey, what I do or think in my spare time is none of your business," she commented, gaining the attention of the others who could only hear one side of the conversation.

"Gross, I was right?"

"My mech, my rules," she stated, enjoying the sickly, blue color his face plates were turning.

"Okay, I don't even want to know," Mirage mumbled, standing from their current sitting position and looking for the others. "Hey, they're here. Moment of truth, Nova. Don't lubricate yourself."

"Shut up."

A team consisting of Optimus, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, and Ironhide pulled into the forest line and transformed promptly.

"I found her! Do I get a prize?" Sideswipe asked as he dashed over and picked Nova up by the arm, flailing around her momentarily limp body.

"Let go, Sides. You're hurting me," she laughed, swatting away at what she could.

"Hey, who's that?" he asked, looking behind her at the fallen lump of metal. "Holy slag it's a 'Con!" Before he could unsheathe his swords, Nova jumped in front of him to block the way.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on, he's with me," she informed.

"What?" Ironhide barked, stomping over to her. "Are you crazy, femme?"

"Yes, but that's not the point. He's good now and he also needs help," she explained, calming Ironhide down.

"I'll be the judge of that," Optimus stated in an icy tone. He was still mad but even more so now that he knew Nova had been fraternizing with the enemy.

Nova recognized his tone. It was a tone that meant Barricade was going to die soon.

"Wait, please Optimus, he's pledging to our cause. Face it, we need a little help," she whispered to him, clearly wanting to make this conversation between them.

"Fine. Since you're so intent on wanting to disobey my rules, I'll give this 'Con a chance," he bit sharply at her, making Nova reel back a little as if physically struck. "Ironhide, help this mech to the base and try not to end his life."

"Yes, Prime," Ironhide gritted, not wanting to do anything with this 'Con.

"It's just like when we first met this slagger all over again," Sunstreaker commented quietly to his brother.

"No one got hurt last time and no one got hurt this time, let it go," Sideswipe returned.

Barricade was feeling a little apprehensive. He would've asked to stay with Nova if there wasn't so much tension in the air already. It would be wise not to add onto it.

"All right, Autobots. Transform and roll out," Optimus commanded, letting the others go ahead of him. He saw Nova trying to sneak away in Bumblebee's alt-mode. Too bad she wasn't going to get away that easy. "Nope, you are riding with me." Prime had grabbed her by the shoulder and transformed, opening his driver side door.

Nova hesitantly climbed in, flinching from the speed his door slammed on her. Was she going to get a lecture of a lifetime or what? Surprisingly enough, the first few minutes were silent. Agonizingly silent. The only reason Nova knew she wasn't on an actual Peterbilt was because it was driving itself. Also because the seatbelt refused to let her breathe.

That's it. She couldn't take anymore. She_ really_ needed to breathe. _Oh, this is going to be awkward._

"Optimus?" she squeaked, mostly from lack of air, "I-I'm having difficulty breathing."

"You have more medical history you're hiding from me?" he blasted through the radio, scaring the life out of Nova.

"No, you're choking me," she wheezed, gasping air when the seatbelt loosened.

"Oh, sorry," he apologized bashfully. Wait, he shouldn't be apologizing. Nova should! What was he doing? This Prime needed to be stronger about this. "Nova, can you please tell me what in the 'verse possessed you to pull off such a risky stunt?"

"Well, you wouldn't let me go, even though I said I could do it, and I had to prove you wrong," she started, getting her verbal defenses ready.

"Was proving me wrong worth all this?" he snapped, knowing that she could not just get off with a warning. What Nova had done was way too severe for a simple scold. "The second we get back to base, you are to be confined to our quarters until proper sentencing is bestowed. Afterwards, I am demoting any licenses you have acquired other than medic bot. Any and all actions that deal with anything outside the base will be run through me first before you are allowed to leave." Was this too much? Probably, but since Nova was so intent on acting like a sparkling, slaggit she was going to be treated like one.

"WHAT?" she roared. "You've got to be kidding me!"

"I would watch your tone, Nova. I am still your Prime and you will treat me with that respect." Optimus was obviously not being listened to as Nova just went along with her rant.

"I _thought _you were my Prime. _My _Optimus, the mech who stood by me through thick and thin! I got the signal _and_ recruited a new mech, didn't I? Two birds, one stone, and still you refuse to open your fragging optics and see what I am capable of. Only _my_ Prime would be able to see that. You? You're just _a_ Prime," she bickered coldly.

"I have half a mind right now to just throw you into the bri—"

"Half a mind? Why not all of it?" she yelled. "I don't care anymore! Take it! Take my freedom! Take my weapons, take my license, and while you're at it, why don't you go ahead and take my slagging armor, too? You're not the Optimus I know! I want the mech who loved me enough to trust me." Nova knew she was venturing into dangerous waters, she just had to be careful where she stepped.

"Don't you dare question my love for you! I just can't see you get hurt! Don't try and lie to me, I felt your pain through the bond, and I can see the scar on you now. _That_, Nova, is why I don't want you to leave with your life at stake," he reasoned, looking again to her blood stained shirt.

"Why are you all of a sudden like this? What has gotten into you?" she asked with disgust. Her ears were probably deceiving her because from what she knew, Optimus was not this overprotective.

"You have!" he roared, making her jerk back. "You may never have experienced what it feels like to have someone you care so much always be so close to death, but I have! More than once. It's not a good feeling, Nova. I can't lose you! I won't lose you! Not again! Do you really want to open those scars just for a petty mission?"

"A small price to p—," she started to mutter before being cut off with a stern remark.

"Your life is not a small price to pay. In fact, it is the very opposite. Do you know what would happen to everyone if you had d—… perished?" he asked quite loudly, choking on even thinking about her death.

"Yes," she answered solemnly.

"No!" he snapped, "You don't! If you did, you wouldn't have done this! Why do you always have to leave me and do something stupid?" His fury wasn't exactly aimed at her per se, it was more directed towards the fact that he could've lost her forever. This fact wasn't sitting so well with the Prime.

Nova heard his words. Actually, she did more than listen, she felt it. She could feel his pain, she could feel his anger. So why didn't she just let it go? Nova just sat there in silence, holding back the tears. He was right. Every aching day was always filled with her stupidity threatening her life. It took so long for her to finally see that her actions actually affected something.

They both sat there in silence, the sound of the road being the only occupant. One, two, three exits had passed and yet more silence.

Optimus couldn't take anymore. He longed for her voice, for her to tell him everything is going to be okay despite the fact that he would seem not to listen. He wanted her to yell back, to argue. Anything besides ignoring him. At least, that's what he thought she was doing. He did call her stupid. Well, indirectly anyway.

"Talk to me, slaggit!" he snapped loudly and unintentionally. The emptiness was killing him. Optimus felt Nova jump at the sound of his voice and regret soon came afterwards. The look of fear on her face was enough for him to change his attitude. His breaking point was when he felt a single tear drop onto the seatbelt. "N-Nova, I'm sorry," he tried, focusing on her more than the road.

"Please, just don't… Don't talk to me anymore," she whimpered, quickly unbuckling her seatbelt and sliding open the window that was placed right behind the middle seat.

"What are you doing?" he asked, forcing his voice to be calm.

"Getting away from you," she said with no anger but with sadness in her voice. Nova wasn't mad at the slightest, she was disappointed. At both herself and Optimus. And to be honest, a little scared of what he would do to her. Regardless, she wanted to be alone.

Nova squeezed through the window and into the sleeper cab. It was a clean, quaint, and most importantly, quite place. He couldn't reach her from there, she was sure of it. The only thing he could do was faintly sense her actions.

Optimus wasn't very happy with that fact.

::Sideswipe, I need your assistance. Could you please use your holoform to drive me for a while?:: Prime asked, not caring how awkward that sounded at the moment.

::Nova?:: he guessed, knowing that this was a very delicate time for both of them. The charcoal red vehicle sped up and hopped onto the Peterbilt's bed—a very tricky feat. It was an extremely uncomfortable position, and Sides was pretty sure he was getting strange looks from both Autobot and human alike but it didn't matter. His friends were more important.

::She's being very difficult,:: Prime sighed, switching on his holoform and seeing that Sideswipe had his holoform in the cab as well.

::Play nice, Boss 'Bot,:: Sides told him exhaustedly, watching Optimus disappear. He slid the window close and took the steering wheel.

Optimus popped into the sleeper cab, instantly locking optics with a balled-up femme on his bed. He saw her eyes widen when she finally realized who was standing right in front of her.

"Optimus! Are you crazy? You're going to get us killed! Get back out there, you know you can't drive with a holoform out!" she screeched, leaping to her feet and trying to shove him through the window, forgetting their fight for a minute. Obviously, he wouldn't fit through the tiny space and it was pretty impossible to even deem logical, but Nova really wanted to live.

Prime was stunned from the abrupt explosion but then began to understand what she was thinking. When in holoform, all the senses of the 'Bot were promptly transferred to the holoform and it was very hard to try to control their alt-mode at the same time. That was why Optimus had asked Sideswipe to drive, because he was unable to at the moment.

Nova didn't know Sideswipe was driving.

The Autobot leader _could_ have told her the truth… or he could use this to his advantage.

"No, I won't go back. Not until we talk this out," he answered casually, enjoying the conflicting facial expressions that rapidly flew through her optics. Her current feature was a stunned and downright shocked face, making her pause for a few seconds.

"Are you suicidal?" she screeched, soft fists banging on his chest. It wasn't hurting him, she knew that.

"Apparently. I've verbally locked myself in here with you, I guess that could be considered suicidal," he joked though Nova didn't catch his drift.

"We'd sooner die from you crashing than from me beating the slag out of you!" A growl escaped her vocals when he just shrugged at her.

Sideswipe could easily hear what was happening behind him… and he thought it was genius. Following Prime's lead, he started steering as if no one was there at all. Seeing that the highway was relatively empty, he drifted from lane to lane a little, just to psych out the femme.

"Optimus get out there!" she yelled again, worry flooding her voice.

"Will you forgive me?" he asked, folding his arms as if he were going to stay and ponder for a while.

"Yes, yes, I forgive you, I'm not mad anymore, I promise!" Nova was begging with her tone now, tugging his arms so he would move. And people thought _she_ was crazy.

"Hold on, I'm not done yet. Will you apologize for your actions?" Okay, Prime was having way too much fun. It felt like a crime to be enjoying this.

"Yes, I'm sorry! You're right, I was stupid; I should've listened to you! I promise I will never disobey you again!" The femme was about to cry now. She meant her words but her fear of death was a little bit more overwhelming than the rest of her feelings.

"Do me a favor."

"What?" she hollered, mind jumping everywhere.

"Don't you ever think or call yourself stupid. I was wrong for even bringing that word into this conversation and—"

"Yes, okay, I get, I won't do that and you're forgiven. Promise!"

"Hmm, you promise, do you?"

"Yes, I do!"

"Do you still love me?"

"I never stopped! But, Optimus, I think I might when you _kill _me!" She stomped her foot, obviously wanting him to go and fragging drive the car!

"That didn't sound sincere, I think I need some physical back up to your claim," he said in a very oblivious-to-death type manner.

"Oh, I'll show you physical back up," Nova growled, forming a fist.

"_Positive_ physical back up," he emphasized.

"Fine," she grumbled, giving him a chaste kiss. "That good enough?"

"It didn't seem very believable," he said in an almost bored way.

_He's got to be kidding, _Nova thought to herself, jaw hanging open. She tried again but this time, she made sure to stress the "believability" factor. Her efforts earned her an embarrassing moan coming from Optimus. It was then that the femme started slowing down and finally understanding that the fight was over and they were both the happy, young couple they started out as. She began to actually take mirth in the kiss.

Pulling away slightly just to be able to mumble her words, she said, "This better?"

"Hey, if you two are making out back there, I'm not driving anymore," Sideswipe yelled as he slid the window open.

Optimus groaned as he felt Nova detach herself from him to check out what was happening.

"You had Sides here the entire time?" she asked incredulously, smacking him in the chest.

"Well, I never said he _wasn't_ here. You drew that conclusion yourself," he answered, a devilish smile on his face.

"You're evil, you know that?" she said with a breathy laugh, tucking herself into his arms. "Am I still being demoted?"

"Not unless you want to be," he answered with a smile, wrapping two strong arms around her. A head buried itself in her hair just to take in the fruity scents. "But you're still confined to our quarters."

"I thought I was forgiven."

"I had other plans in mind."

"Ugh, you two lovebirds are gross!"

* * *

><p><em>Not bad, huh? That was some fight. Anyway, here we are, at least three chapters away from the end. If you haven't reviewed, well... Now's your time to do it because after this story, I'm going to take a nice long break before writing anything else (exception of my in-the-works story that is explained on my profile). So yeah, just a little perspective for you.<em>

_Wanna know some random junk? For my birthday, my mother gave me an Optimus Prime themed birthday card, my brother gave me yet another Optimus Prime birthday card, my father gave me an ASUS tablet that so happened to be called Eee Pad Transformer (I have completely tricked that "data-pad" out with everything Transformers related) and he also is giving me an Optimus Prime t-shirt (I won't get it until Christmas though)._

_That's a very productive birthday if you ask me :)._

_**~Replies~**_

_**a Wiccan: **Thanks for the greeting! Also, thanks for liking my stories. It's hard to know how many people read them and what they may think of it, but when people like you review, it makes me feel better with a sense of accomplishment. Let me take this time to say that you, my friend, are awesome ;)._

_**Dreaming Out Loud since '98: **Nice... um... __Scottish-ness? Hahah, I'm just kidding you. Bumblebee must learn the sacred art of the radio when his medic can't do slag about his voice._

_**DarkAngelMel2: **Sorry Miss Mel2, but no, this mystery person is actually someone we have barely seen at all! And here I go again, getting ready to confuse my readers. Bonnie has a way with people, doesn't she? It's a good thing her parents made up or else more crying shall be a result. Also, because of OP's happiness, Bumblebee doesn't get blamed! Yay!_

_**~Don't be a stranger ;D**  
><em>


	24. Life

_Hey guys! Since I've finished the story (P.S. It ends on chapter 27 because I had a burst of brain juice and I wanted to make this story even better) I've decided that I'll just post whenever I happen to have time. Don't worry, I'll still post regularly on weekends. All I'm saying is that if I have time, you guys get an extra chappie._

**_Alter Ego: _**_Whoa, I got a sneak peek of the ending. Mind is blown..._

_**Alter Ego#2: **What? I want to see it, too! No fair!_

_**Me: **Well, if you saw the ending then EVERYONE would know what it was._

_**Alter Ego#2: **Secrets, secrets are no fun unless you share with everyone!_

_**Me:** Quick! Someone say the disclaimer before I'm guilted into telling people what the super, secret ending is!_

_**Alter Ego: She doesn't own Hasbro, Transformers, or anything for that matter.**  
><em>

* * *

><p>A roller coaster of a week easily flew by, taking both Autobot and human into a crazy ride. So much had happened in such a short period of time that it was insane. The first thing that happened was that Barricade was put on trial. He stated his case and the rest was for the Autobots to decide. While waiting for his answer, Nova had come to him repeatedly for both company and a few answers.<p>

Was she ever an actual Decepticon?

Technically, yes… for a grand total of one joor… on a dare.

Had she always been able to sneak into the Decepticon workspace so easily and frequently?

Yes, but only with her disguise. Many 'Cons knew of her and her close ties with the four Decepticons but none had enough interest to pay attention. Nova had even done some work around their base just to pass time. Not anything severe like plotting against the Autobots, just grunt work, like lifting a few boxes.

Did anyone else know about her being an Autobot?

Only Starscream, but that was at a much later time. Probably right before her memory was erased.

Was there ever any distrust around her?

Not at all. Nova had sworn to both herself and her friends that whatever she did remained in wherever she was. So, what happens at the 'Con base, stays in the 'Con base. Same goes for Autobots.

Who, besides the Decepticons, knew of her and Megatron's relations?

Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, and Bumblebee. But they soon learned to live with it, albeit skeptically.

Has she ever done anything illegal?

Barricade wouldn't answer that in fear that she might not be his friend anymore considering the fact that he had influenced her to do so many petty crimes.

After they got an answer from the Autobots saying that Barricade could join them—the others were still on edge with him being around and spying or whatever—everyone had to move to the newly refurbished island base.

They all said goodbye to D.C. and headed south. The younger 'Bots had complained relentlessly about the horrible timing of the move because the weather was forecast to snow the day right after they moved. None of them had ever seen snow and, although he wouldn't admit it, Ironhide really wanted to see it. Alas, the move was set in stone.

Naturally, the heads of the job branches got first picks on the hangars.

Wheeljack got his new lab, Ratchet found his old med bay, Ironhide adjusted the sparring area and firing range, Optimus found his old office, and Prowl got a brand new control room. The rec. room was quickly established and Bonnie's corner was stated along with it. The sleeping quarters were easy enough, mostly because a large number of the group already lived here before.

As time slowly ticked away, the base had finally been deemed as home sweet home and the villa that was used as their vacation home a couple years back was now open for rent to any soldiers who wanted a little luxury on their off days.

All the hustle and bustle made everyone forget that their goal on Earth was to eradicate it from Decepticons, not become interior decorators. Sadly, the hype quickly left and everyone was back to their jobs. Well, almost everyone.

"Hey, Ratchet," Nova greeted as she peeked a head into the med bay entrance, "Wanna break in the new bay with your first patient?"

"Nova, you will always be my first patient. And my second, and third, and then eventually last. After that you'll probably come back again," he joked, watching her smile at him as she walked over and hopped onto an empty berth.

"Whatever you say, mech. You are my medic, so obviously I come to you for help. Also, I come to you because I am scheduled to be here." She informed, tapping her chest plates. Nova didn't want to tell Optimus that she was going to see if she had any sparklings yet. This news had to be a surprise.

"Oh, right, that," Ratchet exclaimed. He typed a few things into a data pad before putting all attention onto the femme waiting for him. "You know the drill. Chest plates," he commanded, opening her chamber after she had detached her armor. The medic was looking for small sparks that were attached to hers. They would look like little bumps.

Usually, after the small sparks were big enough, they would travel to her abdomen where a special incubation chamber resided. The sparks would form something akin to an embryo and only then would they be dubbed as hatchlings. Hatchlings could hatch from anywhere between one month and at least a year and a half. It only depended on their development and how many hatchlings there are. If there is only one hatchling, the incubation period would not go past one year. If there were five hatchlings, the incubation period would not go past five years. Once hatchlings become sparklings, Ratchet would have to prepare to work on their armor which would be placed on them after they reach a certain age.

"See one, doc?" Nova asked somewhat nervously. She prayed and prayed heavily to Primus that she had at the very least one sparkling. So Bonnie had someone to play with and so Optimus had something to rightfully be a father to. Not that he didn't love being Bonnie's adoptive father.

With a heavy and unsettling sigh, Ratchet gazed into Nova's optics for a while after surveying the spherical, ball of light. His own optics were glazed over, moist from what he just saw. How the Pit was he supposed to break the fragile news? Ratchet could only hope she wouldn't hurt him.

The femme saw his emotion and simply wanted to break down and cry right now. All the answers were spelled out right in front of her. Her spark was breaking in the most painful way. Was this really happening?

"Nova—," Ratchet began but was cut off by a short, breathy laugh.

"Don't tell me, Ratch. I know," she said with a fake smile, looking down to the ground with a torn spark. Of all the obstacles thrown at her, this was one of the most impossible to evade. It was the one that hurt the most.

"You didn't let me finish," he stated. "I don't see one sparkling… I see four." Ratchet saw her freeze and he knew that his job was done here. With a big smile on his face, something that was rare indeed, he stood up to his full height and waited for her reaction.

Nova was bombarded by joy. So much so that she paused all her systems for a split klik. The pain and tortured feelings melted away, being immediately replaced by something more than words can express. Slowly turning her head to the medic, she uttered careful words. "F-four? As in, four sparklings? Four little sparks?"

"Four as clear as day," he chuckled. A pair of surprisingly strong arms wrapped around his neck in the next second. For a klik, her arms almost cut off important circulation to his processor. So much for not hurting him.

"Oh Primus, thank you, Ratchet! Thank you so much!" she squealed, hopping up and down in her spot. "You won't believe how amazing this is right now! Oh Primus, oh Primus," Nova panted, releasing the poor medic and pressing a hand to her helm to contain herself. It took all her willpower not to let this joy reach Optimus' end of the bond. She wanted to tell him in person.

"Hey, I'm just doing my job. Besides, I'm not the one you should be thanking," he told her, watching her perk up. Before Nova could race out of the room to tell Optimus, he grabbed her arm to stop her. The femme had so much energy that she actually pulled him off his feet for a moment.

"What? Is something wrong?" she asked, insides buzzing as if an angry hornet's nest was living in there.

"Just a few ground rules before you run out to the world," he announced, straightening himself.

"What? Rules? Really?" She was carrying sparks for Primus' sake, not the Matrix of Leadership!

"Yes, rules, really," he mocked. "One, no exerting yourself. That means you are off of any missions whatsoever until at least one year after you last hatchling has hatched."

Nova groaned excessively at this, but it was worth it.

"Two, you need to come over here once a week for extra energon. You're going to feel really sapped of energy after a couple weeks. With that being said, I want you to use your energy wisely. Don't stay up all night goofing around with the twins. And I cannot stress enough how much I want you to be careful around both sets of twins. They _will_ hurt you."

"Yes, Ratchet. Are you done?" she asked sarcastically, glancing at the exit every few seconds.

"No, now listen. Three, no high-grade or alcohol, that one is pretty straight forward. And last but not least, I don't want you shifting into your human alt-mode. We both don't know what would happen to the sparks if you did so it's best that you just don't. Got all that?"

"Every last detail, now ple-e-ease let me _go_!" she whined, itching to just reach that beautiful, beautiful exit.

"Okay, I get it, you're excited. Leave me, now, youngling. Spread your mirth," he said with a chuckle, watching as she darted out the door at a speed that could put Blurr to shame.

Nova didn't even bother to ask Optimus where he was. Her spark was so sensitive with both the sparks and the bond affecting it, she could practically see him through the walls. All the humans, machines, and 'Bots were absent in her mind. In fact, she probably didn't even remember any of their names at this time. Her objective was clear and nothing was going to stand in her way.

The femme found herself bursting into the control room where a meeting was currently being held. The screens were filled with multiple people and the only ones who were physically present in the room was Optimus, Lennox, and a few humans who were working on the computers.

All eyes traveled to the purple blob that interrupted them quite loudly. They also saw how she completely disregarded everyone else's presence except Optimus'. Boy, was this going to be amusing.

"Optimus, Optimus," she panted, slowing to a jog when she neared him. Nova was talking in Cybertronian, her mouth working faster than her processor. She didn't have time for English.

"What's wrong? Is something the matter?" he asked in their language, seeing the almost beat-up state she was in.

"No, no, not at all! I have extremely important—" Her mind finally caught up with the rest of her body and she turned to the others in the room. "Please pardon my interruption, I mean no disrespect. I just had news that is impossibly important and no, it cannot wait until a later time," she addressed respectfully.

"Then by all means, continue," General Morshower nodded, reclining in his seat as he began to wait patiently. The others took this as their cue to do the same.

Nova turned back to Optimus with the biggest smile on her face.

"What was it that I needed to know?" he clicked in Cybertronian.

"Optimus!" she began, not knowing how to tell him in the best way possible. Nova began stuttering and running on and on with no reason or rhyme.

Optimus was very lost.

"You know what? Just feel for yourself," she finally said, grabbing his hand and placing it on her chest plates.

"Major Lennox?" Morshower asked him in such a way that it was obvious he wanted to address only the major.

"Yes, sir?"

"Isn't that a little inappropriate?" He was referring to the scene they were all witnessing. Normally, when Morshower did that to his wife, she would slap him.

"Not at all, their more intimate areas are… um… located in… different locations?" Lennox answered embarrassedly, not really wanting to talk about this.

"Good enough. Do you know what they are talking about?"

"No, not entirely. But they are sparkmates so I'm going to guess it has something to do with that," Lennox said almost absently, trying to decode what they were saying.

"Sparkmates, major?" he asked, but this time a little bit more annoyed at the fact that he was being fed information through a straw.

"It's like being married, but more intimate and irreversible."

"I feel sorry for Prime," the general grumbled honestly, earning a few scattered chuckles.

Optimus had no clue why Nova had placed his hand onto her chest. Nothing there really signified anything of imp—

"Is your chest plate warmer than usual?" he blurted, spark racing and optics widening.

"Mm-hmm," Nova squeaked, nodding her head. She bit her lip and waited for him to come to his own conclusion.

"Does this mean what I think it means?" he clicked hesitantly.

"Mm-hmm," she nodded again. Her optics tightened before she couldn't take the suspense anymore. "Optimus, you're going to be an adair!" Nova squealed, jumping up in order to hug him around the neck. His side of the bond suddenly went completely cold and unresponsive. She climbed down to see what happened to him. Sure enough, the second Nova took away all physical contact, he collapsed.

"Oops," she spoke in English, alerting the others that this was a bad situation.

"What did you do?" Lennox asked, leaning over the railing to inspect the gentle giant.

"Um, in simplest terms? I basically told him I was pregnant," Nova said sheepishly, trying to figure out how to get him to wake up. Or at least how to move him into a more respectable position. "Well, he's out cold. Your meeting wasn't too important, was it?"

"Actually, yes, yes it was," Lennox sighed exhaustedly. Now what were they supposed to do?

"Uh, you don't mind if I take his place, do you?" she asked, wanting to help out. "I'm bonded to him so it basically like he's getting information right from the source."

"I don't know the significance of that, but if it can get me home by dinner then I'm good," Morshower replied, smiling warmly to Nova.

The meeting went on normally with no more interruptions or complications. They talked about what to do with the stray 'Cons and Barricade. Not much was accomplished or backtracked. It was a mediocre meeting.

Worst three hours of Nova's life.

Anyway, all was said and done, the meeting was over and Nova was free. She did not envy Optimus or Prowl at all with their jobs. After the others on the computers have signed off, the only ones left were Lennox and Nova, if you didn't count Optimus who was chilling against the wall.

"How do you guys do that?" she groaned, walking towards an unresponsive mech and slumping in his arms.

"Do what?" Lennox asked with a chuckle, already knowing what she was referring to.

"Stand around for hours and hours talking about absolutely nothing." She banged her head against the massive wall of chest behind her, groggy taking over her system.

"It's easy, you stand there and pretend that every single word that is said will affect lives. Because it does," he warned light-heartedly, pointing a finger at her.

"Whatever, I'm just going to get all this information out of my head as soon as this guy wakes up." Nova took his hand and twiddled with his fingers, processor filling itself with the usual feminine thoughts.

"You don't have to stay and wait here, you know. You seem bored in this place." Lennox began jogging down the stairs, leaving to attend to other matters.

"Like Pit I'm going to leave him passed out and alone. Have you met the twins?" she asked incredulously.

"Sadly, I have. By the way, what's up with the pregnant thing? Do you know how many, what are they called, sparklings? How many of those are you carrying? Or do you not know?" Now he was just plain curious. Life was always a mystery, no matter what or who you are.

"I have four beautiful little sparks just waiting to get out," she cooed, "We won't know when they're coming or what they're genders are until they're out. But that's the fun part, right?"

"Sure, that's what my wife said. So, not to be mean or anything, but are you gonna… go through symptoms?" Will feared the worst at this point. Loud shouts, broken trucks, dented metal, and worst of all, death. Okay, so maybe that was a bit too much. Then again, his wife was threatening his life at one point of pregnancy, who's to say that a 21 foot robot wouldn't follow through?

"Oh yeah, get ready for the worst months of your life. Try and stay on my good side Lennox. And above all, remember that I'm only acting like this because I'm bearing life," Nova stated, trying to shift the potential blame.

"Yeah, okay," he said uneasily. This could not be happening.

Arcee, Chromia, Mikaela, and Mizuki stepped into the room as Lennox stepped out. All wore huge grins and the traditional giddy femme aura.

"Great, girl talk," Will scoffed jokingly as he left.

"Hello, ladies. I'm guessing you've either heard the news, know of the news, or need to know about it," Nova stated, inviting them to huddle around her and the glorified paperweight.

"Okay, tell us everything," Arcee giggled, racing to Nova's side.

"Yeah, we need to know every detail," Mikaela chimed.

"_Every_ detail?" Nova asked, quirking an optic ridge. "All right, if you say so. First thing that happened; I was born—"

"Oh save it, you know what we mean," Chromia said, nudging her a little. "Tell us, is he big?"

Both Arcee and Nova choked a little at the question, the two others only had an idea of what Chromia was referring to.

"Wait, mechs have… sizes?" Mizuki asked, albeit hesitantly.

"Yeah, not all sparks are alike. I guess you could say it was similar to your males and… their sizes," Nova informed, just as apprehensively as Mizuki.

"So tell us, _was_ he big?" Arcee spoke, now completely curious. It felt a little awkward, considering that Optimus was right there, but girl talk is girl talk.

"Sweetie, would my chest plates be this bruised if he wasn't?" Nova answered, showing her dented plates. "You know all that 'I'm so calm' and 'All are equal' slag he pulls off? Yeah, the Optimus I know is the complete opposite when it comes to… you know."

The rest of the evening was filled with howls of laughter and the usual gossip. It was a mystery as to how Optimus remained out cold through the squeals and giggles of all the femmes. It was more like a miracle than a curse from Primus, as anyone could see.

* * *

><p>"So, you're our new recruit, huh?" Jazz asked, walking up to a brooding Barricade.<p>

Both were a bit awkward around each other, considering that they were once enemies.

"Apparently so. Though no one can fool me. It's obvious that I am still a prisoner," he answered emotionlessly. For all Barricade knew, this mech was here to taunt him or to threaten him. At least, that's what would happen on the 'Con base.

"I get it, no one trusts you, but hey, you got Nova on your side. Count your blessings, mech. Had you not known her, you would be dead. And I wouldn't be here giving you a second chance," Jazz stated. He believed in fairness and he really didn't want to see this one get beat up because of his past. Jazz knew a lot about being the little 'Bot.

"Well, obvious—Wait, what did you say?" Did he hear correctly? Was this small 'Bot actually accepting Barricade's presence in this very new period of time? Not possible. This is some sort of trick, for sure… is it?

"I'm giving you a chance. I love Nova and I trust her. If she says trust a 'Con, I'd become Megatron's best friend." Jazz shrugged, turning to leave when Barricade just stood still. He meant what he said. That femme had good character judgment, something that many didn't have because the war had shocked them out of it.

"Wait, I—I… Thank you," he said awkwardly. _That was new. _He had never thanked anyone unless it was sarcastically before. It hurt to escape his vocals a little, but he felt a warm, loving feeling ease the pain. No wonder Nova remained adamant on remaining a good guy. It felt nice.

"No problem, man," Jazz replied with a smile, visor flashing. He left the mech to his thoughts, happy that he had brightened yet another person's day. Now he was off to find a femme. Any femme. If he ever learned anything in life, it was that femmes knew everything. And he heard that Nova was carrying.

"A certain 'Bot forgot to tell her best friend something," he grumbled to himself.

* * *

><p><em>OMG! Babies! Hooray! Well, enough of that. The next chapter is going to be so crazy that I bet you will start yelling at your computer because of the craziness that will ensue. Tell me, readers... <strong>What do you think the ending is?<strong>_

_**~Replies~**_

_**DarkAngelMel2 (AKA Jess): **Wait 'til you read the next chapter, emotions will fly through you like crazy (I wonder if I added enough emphasis on the fact that the next chapter will be crazy...). Glad you like Barricade. He's one of my personal favorites among the 'Cons (but don't tell them I said that). Prime had every right to be mad. If you count, he almost loses her like four or five times I think... and that's only what I've written! Who knows how many dumb things Nova's done on Cybertron that almost cost her her life. If you think telling you how unexpected the ending will be was mean, then you're really going to hate me now that I told you it's also crazy. Especially since you'll get the gist of the unexpectedness in the next chapter. I have a feeling that heads will roll—namely mine. My mother is a nurse and she uses my "data-pad" a lot (now there's a lot of medical stuff in there) so if Ol' Ratchy ever finds it, he's going to be so proud of me. I think when you change your name, it changes on your past reviews as well so all you really have to do is tell people you were formally DarkAngelMel2. But since that is currently undecided, I shall address you by your nickname._

_**Dreaming Out Loud since '98: **Sides is very squeamish... well, when it comes to lovey-dovey crap. Yes, I have seen your story and I presume you're still working on your Transformers fic? Or were you not doing that? Also, your story has a Facebook page? I can only imagine those comments on your penguin related fic, hahah._

_**~Don't be a stranger ;D**  
><em>


	25. And Death

_All right... here we go... This is officially the beginning of the end. Brace yourselves, all of you. As much as possible, read on line at a time. I know that sometimes my eyes wander to a few lines ahead thus ruining the element of surprise but right now I'm begging to guys to try to limit that. Remember that I love you so try not to hurt me. I would also appreciate if you reviewed your reactions... that would be nice._

_This chapter is going to whiz by. I'm pretty sure it spans about a couple years. I'll recap things at the bottom just in case I lost a few of you with my words. My alter egos shall be taking a break for the rest of the story so as not to distract you guys._

_Get ready..._

_Get set..._

_Go..._

* * *

><p>Everyone's reaction to the news of little Nova's or Optimus' running around was different.<p>

Bumblebee was happy for his sister and was also happy because he wouldn't be considered the youngest anymore. It wasn't dignifying to be known as the youngling at a time like this, especially if he had a girl to impress.

Jazz was also excited for the little sparklings to run around. He wanted to be the one to teach them about music and how to kick 'Con aft. He didn't tell Nova about that last part, she would've stripped him of his armor in the most painful way possible.

Obviously, Ironhide, Sunstreaker, and Mirage acted as if it wasn't that big of a deal. Yet each were secretly praising Primus for the gift of life. Ironhide knew that he had to get to the sparklings before Sunstreaker did. No one was going to corrupt those little minds under Hide's watch. Mirage wanted to just steer clear of those fragile things. He didn't want to break them.

Wheeljack, Ratchet, and Jolt felt like children on Christmas day considering the fact that they were going to build the sparklings' frames. Already they were talking about designs on both mech and femme.

One hour after Optimus had woken from passing out in the control room, all the femmes and females on the base knew about the sparklings. One day after he had woken, the higher ups knew the situation. One week after, all the mechs knew. After one month…

The first hatchling hatched.

Nova was outside in the tall grass with Bonnie, watching the birds and the butterflies pass by. In her sitting position, the grass hid at least half of her body while it only came up to Bonnie's mid-section.

"Um, Mommy, Mommy, what about Joey?" Bonnie asked as she went to chase a butterfly.

"Joey? No, I don't think so. There are a lot of Joey's in the world," Nova answered, thinking about the name. It just didn't feel right. "All right, my turn. What do you think about… hmm… Jacob?"

"No, I don't want my baby brother to be Jacob."

The two were talking about baby names, seeing which one would work. So far, none of the names really stood out.

"Why don't we try using Cybertronian names? Do you like Steel Bar?" Nova shrugged watching the little girl scrunch up her face plates.

"Ew, no-o-o," she shook her head.

"All right, all right, fine. We won't use Cybertronian names for a boy. What do you think it should be?"

"Um, how 'bout, Aiden?" The little girl was cut off by a pained grunt from her mother.

Nova doubled over, grabbing Bonnie's shoulder to stabilize herself. There was a sharp pain in her abdomen, a sure sign that one of her hatchlings wanted to come out.

_Optimus, Optimus…_ Nova gasped through the bond.

_Dearspark, are you okay?_ He answered with worry.

_It's-it's time._

"Bonnie, sweetie, go inside real quick and get Ratchet," Nova strained, clutching her abdomen harder. "Tell him that your little brother or sister is coming."

"Okay, Mommy. Be okay, okay?" she said, kissing her mother quickly on her cheek.

"Okay, Bonnie, now go. Mommy's in pain," Nova managed to laugh out. Her daughter was too sweet.

After an hour or so worth of stress, the med bay became still and only the sound of a lovely little mech's breathing could be heard. All personnel gave the family some space as Nova rested in the berth, holding a little sparkling.

"What will we name him?" Optimus asked, stroking the child's miniature helm.

"Aiden."

* * *

><p>When the days turned into weeks, and the weeks spread into months, Aiden and Bonnie became quick friends. As Sideswipe, under the careful watch of Ironhide, was Bonnie's designated guardian and mentor when the parents were absent for whatever reason, Prowl became Aiden's.<p>

All could easily see how much like his father that mech was. Although he was only alive for a year, it was obvious that Aiden possessed the patience and grounded mind Optimus had. That made teaching and watching Aiden one of the easiest jobs Prowl ever had.

The little mech learned much from his time spent with Prowl. He developed proper speech patterns that leveled with Bonnie's. Reading and basic mathematics were also of his ability. He was strong enough to be able to walk already. Along with learning from Prowl, Aiden spent silent hours with Ratchet, just paying attention to what he does. They usually didn't even talk except for the few seconds when the sparkling asks a question.

Ratchet never minded.

Within the next, relatively peaceful year, Aiden showed signs of a wonderful problem solver, no matter the situation.

Especially when his mother would have one of her mood swings and somehow, Epps' truck found its way to the roof of the base. It was Aiden who calmed down his mother through careful words, and he was the one to get Jetfire to get the car down.

Lennox definitely liked that kid.

Nova and Optimus were cuddled on the rec. room couch while their two children played in Bonnie's shared corner. Bonnie had been so willing to let Aiden play with her that she refused to let anyone call it Bonnie's Corner anymore. It was just The Corner now.

"Optimus, it's been a little over an entire year. I'm getting worried," Nova told him, looking up to his face.

"Nova, you know that these things are random. We may never know when the rest will come out. All we know is that they will," he murmured softly onto her helm, kissing it after his sentence.

"But, it's been a year and there are three left. What if—?"

"After three years, then we'll worry, okay?" he interrupted, squeezing her lightly.

"Okay, I guess you're right," she sighed, shutting her optics. Upon opening them, her first sight was two children smiling brightly at her.

"Uh, Lala? Are you sad?" Aiden said, hoping onto the couch to hug his mother.

"Don't be sad, Mommy. We'll have more baby brothers and sisters!" Bonnie chided, crawling onto Optimus' arms. "Wanna say names again?"

"Oh, good. Optimus, you can help us," Nova said, repositioning herself so Aiden could sit comfortably on her lap. "Fun fact, kids, Daddy is very good at Cybertronian names."

"What names are we saying? Femme or mech?" he asked, enjoying the family vibe they had established.

"Both. Wanna start, Aiden?" she asked the reserved, little boy.

"Um, for a femme, what about Chevy?" he suggested, shrugging his miniature shoulders.

"That's cute," Nova pondered, "but let's keep going. Optimus?" she directed to him, watching as his face set to concentration.

"Okay, how about—?"

"Ah!" Nova screamed, doubling over and dropping to the ground. She clutched herself tightly, curling into a snug ball.

"Nova, what's wrong?" Optimus automatically asked, sliding down next to her.

"Get these monsters out of me!" she roared, not completely in her right mind.

::Ratchet, it's another one,:: Optimus sent, picking Nova up and jogging to the med bay, careful not to upset her any further.

"This one hurts way more than last time!" she managed to gasp out, digging her digits deep into Optimus' armor. It hurt him but that wasn't important right now.

They reached the bay in time for Nova to give birth to a new life. Or more like…

Two new lives.

Ratchet almost passed out when he saw what Nova had spawned. He prayed to Primus that this was just a dream. Sadly, life sucks sometimes.

Twins.

But no, not only were they twins. They were triple changers. Most probably due to the fact that they possessed both Autobot and Decepticon blood. Ratchet now believed that a force greater than Primus really hated him right now.

"Primus, these two are brutal," Nova sighed once all was calm again. "Would you look at that? One girl and one boy. A rare set of twins." The twins wriggled in their parents arms. Already they knew these two would be trouble makers. "You never got to suggest a name, Optimus."

"Well, how about Light Wing for the femme and Aileron for the mech?"

"Perfect."

* * *

><p>The journey that erupted from raising those two was an enigma at best. Nova felt that she could bestow the role of guardian and mentor to Barricade. Mostly because he was one of the only mechs who could make those two behave. His relationship with the twins earned him more trust with everyone else. In fact, the only ones who were still obviously opposed to the ex 'Con were Ironhide, Jolt, and Mirage.<p>

The baby twins took an early liking to both sets of older twins which obviously spelt inevitable horrors for everyone on base. They all could only pray that Aileron and Light Wing wouldn't learn how to fly until much later in their lives.

It was as if there was some sort of rule that said all twins needed to be obnoxious and wild.

The year was less peaceful than the one that preceded it. Small Decepticon uprisings popped around the southern area of the States and a couple in Mexico. One could only wonder why the sightings were condensed near the border. It puzzled both Prowl and Optimus as to why the 'Cons would do something as foolish as reveal themselves so close to the Autobots.

Either way, security was doubled and Bumblebee was sent to watch over Sam in case the sightings may have been a ruse to distract the Autobots from their friend in D.C. A safety room was created and reinforced so if, Primus forbid, an attack was staged at the base, Nova and the children had somewhere to go.

If it weren't for Nova's persistence and influence, Barricade would've been thrown in the brig for suspected treason. He needed her help more than ever with the trust issue when a small scuffle was three miles away from the base.

Everyone on N.E.S.T. clearly overreacted with this small event. At least in Nova's eyes they were. The 'Cons didn't even get near enough to scratch her, let alone her children. What was the big deal?

Yeah, Optimus didn't see it like that. What he saw was that the 'Cons practically butchered the kids' innocence. He wanted to scrap those evil doers for every second they haunted his children's dreams. Especially since the 'Con they caught left an eerie message in his dying breath.

"Your end will arrive in the beginning. Death will come from life. He will come… for her," the 'Con wheezed, coughing out energon at every word. He had stared Nova straight in the optic when the words were spoken, adding to the creepy effect.

Optimus doubled the security around his family when he heard this. Nova's paranoia was definitely rubbing off on the mech.

Mikaela called him out on account of being full of shit. Of course, she didn't say that to his face. Or to any of the mechs. Strong as she may be, death would always be imminent when facing something angry, metal, and more than quadruple your size.

But in the end, it turned out that Nova and Optimus were both right. The 'Cons didn't do any harm to any of the children but their presence had shocked Aileron and Light Wing into some sort of life changing trauma. If anyone could call it trauma.

In Ratchet's words, "They're Nova's children, all right."

The event caused the twins to become more conservative, but not by much. They were almost like lifeless robots when around the higher ups. But around the younger 'Bots, they became their usual lively selves.

Although both sets of twins were Aileron and Light Wing's favorite playmates, Light Wing easily enjoyed learning from Wheeljack, and Aileron liked spending time with Jazz.

All the kids learned to roughly speak Cybertronian from their mentors. Since they carried a couple of Nova's genes, they all had unquenchable curiosity. And because of Optimus' courageous genes, they were not afraid to ask. It proved to make for awkward silences at times.

The parents fell onto their berth, exhausted from a full day of work and kids. They had finally gotten the last sparkling to go to sleep. The children's room was right next to their room and the only thing separating them was a wall with a door.

"Did you have a fun day doing your Prime things?" Nova whispered as she propped herself onto his chest. She rested her chin between his windows, looking at him with tired optics.

"As much fun as I have every day," he answered, stroking a hand up and down the small of her back.

"Hmm, that's lovely," she murmured with a breathy giggle. A solemn quiet fell and her mirth wiped off her face. She was contemplating something and had no clue that she was still staring him straight in the optic.

"What's wrong, Nova?" he asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Huh? Oh. I'm not sure, I just…" A sigh escaped as she rested her forehead onto his window. "It's probably nothing."

"Tell me, I'm all yours tonight. As I am every night," Optimus hummed, nudging her face upwards.

"Of course, just don't… overreact or anything," she started, cupping his face and tracing the grooves of his jaw. "I'm still worrying about what that 'Con said to me—"

"He said it to _us_ not just you," he stated in a soft breath. Both were careful not to alert the children.

"Please, Optimus. He was looking at me and he said 'her.' Now correct me if I'm wrong but were there any femmes besides me in that room?" Nova let him think of how he could possibly make light of this. Truth was… he couldn't.

"Nova, this happened over a month ago. Do you really think if someone was coming after you, they would have already? Besides, _this _mech is not letting anything happen to you." To prove his point, he shifted the small femme in his arms so he could tighten his grip slightly.

"My hero," she laughed, kissing his nose.

"One and only."

Nova slid off of Optimus and wedged herself into his side, snuggling into his warmth.

"Good night, sweetie," she mumbled, already half asleep.

"Good night, dearspark."

Come morning time, Nova came to Ratchet first thing in the morning, Aiden trotting beside her. She had a checkup that morning and Aiden just wanted to accompany his mother for the day.

"Hello, Ratchet," Nova greeted.

"Hello, sir," Aiden said after her, dipping his head slightly in acknowledge. He learned that from Prowl.

"Good morning, you two. Here for your appointment?" Ratchet asked, gesturing to the berth.

"You know it. Come on, Aiden, wanna sit with Mommy?"

"Yes, please," he answered, reaching up for her arms.

Ratchet went through his regular routine as Aiden took a few mental notes on his technique. When the medic began to inspect Nova's spark and incubation chamber, the sparkling promptly averted his optics, knowing that it would be impolite to look.

The checkup was wrapped up quickly. Nothing was out of the ordinary and Nova was thankful for that. As the two were leaving, Ratchet gasped suddenly at something he was looking at.

"Ratchet, is something wrong?" the femme asked, tracing his line of sight. Her optics landed onto something on the side of Aiden's helm and she gasped as well.

_Optimus, get over here, now,_ she sent through the bond, a hint of urgency in her tone.

_Is something the matter? _he replied.

_Well, that's what we need you to figure out._

"Aiden, come over here, sparkling," Nova cooed, scooping him up so Ratchet and she could see what was on his helm more clearly.

"What's wrong, Lala?" he asked her, worry starting to fill his spark.

"Nothing's wrong, darling. But there's something on your helm that Ada needs to look at," she answered smoothly, maternal instincts kicking in.

"You don't think that it could be—?" Ratchet started, trailing off in awe of the sight before him.

"One could only hope," Nova sighed.

"What is it?" Aiden asked, looking between them.

"Nova, Ratchet, you needed me?" Optimus interrupted, opening the doors slowly.

"Optimus, look at this. Can you read it?" Nova asked, bringing the child closer to him.

When the Prime saw what was engraved on his child's helm, his spark nearly stopped in pride. A symbol, akin to his own, was portrayed brightly onto Aiden's little helm.

"It looks just like yours," the femme commented, brushing the symbol on Prime's head.

"It's true. Aiden," he spoke to the confused sparkling between them, "you are the next Prime."

"What does that mean?" he asked, looking at the symbol on his adair's helm.

"It means you will be a leader, just as I am." Optimus spoke in the ancient language of the Prime's, something only Aiden would be able to decode.

Nova watched as those two had some sort of Prime conversation. Her spark melted in the fact that she had the honor to give life to a new Prime. They were a step closer to continuing their old way of life. Hope was stronger now more than ever.

Suddenly, a loud explosion cut into their Hallmark moment. It shook debris onto every 'Bot there and triggered an alarm. This could only mean one thing.

Decepticons.

"Nova, take the children to the safe house. Hurry!" Optimus commanded. Surprisingly, she didn't argue with him this time. Nova nodded and dashed to find the others. The leader looked to Ratchet and they both knew what to do.

Every able bodied 'Bot was already heading towards the problem area. By the looks of it, this was an attack assembled by Starscream. One, because it was sloppy and uncoordinated. Two, because the devil, himself, was flying around and gloating before any victory had been won.

Inside the base, Nova was placing the kids into the room, quelling any of their fears.

"Don't worry, kids, the fight is on the furthest possible place from us. Nobody is going to hurt you, okay? They're too far to…" Suddenly, a sharp pang of realization hit her. How could she be so stupid?

"Oh no." She glanced to her children and then to the door. "Okay, can you guys stay here and be absolutely quiet for a while? Mommy needs to get something real quick, all right?" she asked in the calmest way she could. Now was not a good time for crying children.

They all nodded to her, huddling closer together. Each received a kiss from their mother as she dashed out the door in search of something.

"Barricade, good you're here," Nova said, stopping him from joining the fight. "It's a ruse, all of it. The 'Cons are distracting the others from us. You need to help me move the children somewhere safe—"

A shot stopped the femme from completing her sentence. Luckily, Barricade got the gist of what she was trying to say and ran to the safety room, finding a better place to hide the scared sparklings.

Nova was left alone with whoever decided to pick a fight with her. She didn't care which 'Con it was, this femme was ready.

"So, we meet once more, traitor," a shrill voice cackled above her. Starscream pounced onto the femme before she could defend herself.

Not once did the thought of backup enter her mind. The only thing that occupied her processor at the moment was, _Frag, frag, frag, frag…_

Nova threw him off of her and took out her cannon, aiming for his wings. Once she was close enough, she took a swipe at his arm with her blade. Nova could tell that his arm had been dislocated before just by the sloppy stitching.

Starscream wasn't going to let her off that easily. He kicked her square in the chest, a horribly weak spot at the moment. The small femme was thrown against the wall, all air knocked out of her system.

"Look, I don't want to make this longer than it should. I have a schedule to keep. So I'm just going to take my treasure and go," he offered mischievously.

Nova still had some fight left in her, but when she saw a rather large looking syringe in her offender's servo, she froze. She knew what that was and she didn't like it one bit.

"No!" she screeched at him, regretting her motionless state.

"Sorry, but I can't apply this after the hatchling is hatched. That would defeat the purpose. I'm getting my army one way or another and not even Megatron can stop me," he cackled manically, stabbing her in the spark.

An ear-piercing scream erupted from Nova's vocals as she arched in pain. The poison from the syringe burned her very core, spreading to the rest of her.

Starscream was about to take the weakened femme and leave but was attacked by an unknown source. It hit him from various places and he just couldn't seem to find the source.

Barricade was firing from multiple blind spots. And with the help of Jeffy, Starscream was chased away. It was pertinent that Starscream didn't see Barricade there. Who knows what could happen if the oversized corn-ship knew he had defected to the opposite faction?

After Starscream had fled, Cade rushed to Nova's side, picking up a slightly disoriented—and now orange—Jeffy. He checked her vitals and found that she was slowly becoming unresponsive.

::Ratchet, Prime, you need to get over to the safety room. Nova's hurt and it's serious,:: he sent through the com, waiting impatiently for the mechs.

When they finally came, all Pit broke loose. There was much yelling and directions being given. Nova was rushed to the med bay and was promptly locked away from everyone else except Jolt and Wheeljack. Jolt may have been Ratchet's apprentice but Wheeljack dabbled into the medical field much like Nova had.

Barricade took the children and tried to calm them down while Ironhide took Prime and tried to calm_ him_ down. Optimus managed not to blame Barricade for all this, mostly because he trusted his sparkmate when it came to who he could rely on. Nova always had good judgment. Her judgment on fighting, although…

Once the hullabaloo was settled down—relatively—Ratchet shooed the others away from Nova to let her rest. Also, he had something to tell her. Something she probably wouldn't like.

"Ratch, I'm hurting… all over," she wheezed, looking at him through dimmed optics.

"I know, dearspark. It's going to be painful, but you have to be strong, okay? Do it for Optimus," he said silently, feeling absolutely guilty that he was going to have to tell her this now.

"What's going to happen to me?" she asked weakly, shutting her optics to rest.

"Nova, you have to listen and I want you to try to take this lightly."

Now she was worried.

"Look, we got all the poison out, you will not involuntarily spawn an army," he started, watching her calm down a little. "The bad news is… Nova?" He took her hand and squeezed it comfortingly. Ratchet looked away from her, sadness taking over his emotions. He didn't want to admit it, but a drop of wiper fluid escaped his optic. It was a very unusual and human thing for the medic to do, but it was appropriate.

"The-the last hatchling… didn't make it," he almost whispered, feeling her squeeze his hand back.

Nova stifled tears. Her frame wriggled from the sadness but she knew she had to accept it. Something about the way Ratchet wouldn't look her in the optic when she turned to him told her that there was something more to what he was talking about.

"Ratchet? That's not it, is it?" she asked in a very innocent voice, on the brink of breaking down.

"No, it's not. Nova…" He couldn't. Ratchet was too tied in his emotions to break the worse news of all to her. Nova, his friend, his trusted comrade, a person he used to look at and see something akin to his own sparkling. She was like a daughter he never had and now, he was going to say a horrible thing to her.

"You only have six months to live."

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><p><em>Before you guys try to track me down and kill me, <em>**_REVIEW YOUR RESPONSE! _**_I want to know what you think or what you think will happen! Anyway, here are the clarifying thingies._

_Bonnie: 6 years old. First born (I think you should all know that by now)._

_Aiden: 4 years old. First born from Optiva. He's the one who's all mature and stuff._

_Light Wing: 1 year old. Female twin._

_Aileron: 1 year old. Male twin._

_Last sparkling died because of that stupid Decepticon :(_

_A total of 4 years had passed in this chapter._

_**~Replies~**_

_**DarkAngelMel2: **It was awkwardly fun to write Optimus passing out and the girls talking about him. I know I had fun. Jazz is a compassionate mech and he's got the guts to be a friend. That's a characteristic that I admire about that 'Bot. Too bad Michael Bay killed him before everyone had a chance to find that out for themselves. I shall patiently await the review that will hold your thoughts about the ending. As you can see, this is just step one of the roller coaster, train wreck, mish mosh, whatever that is my ending. Hold onto your hat(s)._

_**a Wiccan: **I understand your surprise at the news of the sparklings. I too type sporadically when it comes to big events thus resulting in my comments or reviews to look something like this. Snbd fdiubf djs! This is how typos are born... or at least my typos. You better put spell check on because the next chapters are really going to shock you._

_**Dreaming Out Loud since '98: **I'm glad to have blown your mind. It must feel fascinating. Hold on to your seats because by the end of this story, your brain will more or less become emotional putty. I hope you can get your TF fic back on track but for now I shall wait patiently.  
><em>

_**~Don't be a stranger ;D**  
><em>


	26. Time is Ticking

_Whoa, that last chapter was heart stopping, right? Well I wouldn't know because not many reviews on your reactions were sent my way. I really do need your review and for those of you who have been reviewing, thanks. Even if you only reviewed once, that was still very nice of you. Thing is, I use those reviews so I can mold myself into a better writer. I need to know what makes my demographic happy, sad, mad, or content. **It's super important! **So please, please, please review!_

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><p>"What? No… No! Ratch, you're just kidding right?" Nova rasped, struggling to sit up but was held in place by the medic in front of her.<p>

"I would never be that cruel," he whispered solemnly.

She looked down, letting the news sink in. Slowly, with hitched breathing, she rose closer to the medic. Ratchet let the femme hug him as she cried on his shoulder.

"How-how did this happen?" she wept, burying her face in his neck.

"The poison was traveling too fast… I-I couldn't stop it," he answered, trying to remain strong for her, "I'm sorry. It's all my fault. I could've stopped it if I wasn't so—"

"Don't say that. You did everything you could. That's all I can ever ask of you. Is there really nothing else you can do now?" Nova tried hopelessly. She knew that nothing could be done, but there was no wrong in trying.

"The only thing you can do is make the most of your time. Do you want me to tell—?"

"No, please don't. I don't want anyone knowing. It's too much for anyone to bear. I-I'll tell them, when I'm ready," she said, clutching to the mech as if that would save her life.

"What are you going to do?" he asked, sitting on the berth and wiping her tears away. Ratchet felt as if only he could've prevented this but he failed her. It felt like he was the one to blame, but he knew Nova would not have him speaking like that.

"I'm… I'm going to straighten a few things out. I'm going to right the wrongs that have happened because of me. I don't want to go with regrets." A silence passed. Nova was thinking of all the things she would do in order to make everyone take her death as easily as possible. "Ratchet?"

"Yes?"

"What's going to happen to Optimus? I mean, will he… _go_, too?" she asked hesitantly.

"No, he is a Prime. His spark is strong enough to withstand your… departure. But the pain will still be there," Ratchet answered, not wanting to dwell on the negative.

"May I leave? I have something I need to do," Nova stated, gathering herself up to be more presentable.

"Of course, just be careful," he bid, watching her leave the room and sequentially, the med bay.

"What's the point?" she muttered quiet enough for him to not hear. Nova traveled along the familiar halls, finding that she missed everything that she usually took for granted. This was going to hurt more than anything she's ever done. Finally, she spotted the mech she was looking for. Thankfully, he was alone, wandering in a hangar.

"Barricade? I need to speak with you," she spoke, her voice echoing around the walls.

"Yes? What do you need?" he said quietly, the scratch in his voice barely audible.

"I need you to go on a mission for me. Go back to Megatron and work under him. As a double agent, of course. If anyone asks you where you were or if you were with the Autobots and why, just tell them you were undercover. I'll give you some fake information if need be," she said, hiding her true intentions.

Luckily for Barricade, he knew her more than that. He knew she needed something else to be done.

"What are you hiding, femme?" he asked almost jokingly.

"I-I'm going to tell you something, something that you must not share with anyone else," she started apprehensively, not knowing if she should tell him or not.

"I'm listening," he stated patiently. He wasn't serious about if she was keeping something from him, but now he was. What was wrong with her?

"In six months… I'm going to die," she whispered, looking away. "And I don't want the Autobots to turn on you or to hurt you because of that. Tell Prowl your mission. He'll talk to me if he has any questions. But I want you to keep my death a secret. Nobody here needs to be any more worried than they already are," she said, pointing a finger at him to make sure he knew she was serious.

Barricade complied, much to Nova's surprise. Without another word, he left. His spark was silently breaking and it was a new feeling to him. Never before had Barricade ever let anyone into his true feelings and now that he has, it felt wonderful, but because of Nova's news, he wished he never had dropped his guard at all. The hate was there, the fury was there, but the will to turn on everyone and probably kill a few humans just to feel better… that was gone. Because of her.

Nova went on with the rest of her life, living it to the fullest. She seemed to be her normal, bubbly self, acting for the whole world to see the lie she was living out. Inside, she was broken beyond repair. But it was concealed. Not even Optimus could detect it.

Her children grew and plans were made. No one fully understood why Nova was making plans for something that was so far in their future but all just thought it was a mother thing. In reality, Nova just wanted to have a say in her children's life, to make sure they were growing correctly.

It was decided that Bonnie would attend a human school when she was of age. The others would attend the human school as well using holoforms that Ratchet would have installed when the time was right. Based on their academic skills now and what they seemed to like, Nova had chosen a wide range of colleges for them to choose in a couple years. The money wasn't an issue and all was set for them.

Within the six months, Nova taught them a song. The song that she shared with her sparkmate. In Nova's mind, as long as they would keep singing that song, it would feel like their mother would still be with them. But that was just wishful thinking. She also gave the role of guardianship to Jazz and Wheeljack for the twins because by then, everyone knew that Barricade was going to be sent on a mission.

The mission itself wouldn't take place for a while considering that Prowl wanted to send him out when the time was most opportune. Nova didn't mind, it just meant more time to spend with him.

After her children were sure to be taken care of, Nova went to spend as much time with her friends and family possible. Even Elita-1 who was a bit skeptical at first. The femme made sure that all of her friends had some sort of closure with her so that no regrets would be made when she was gone.

Within time, Nova told Optimus about their last sparkling and how he or she didn't make it. A small period of mourning took place but the empty feeling had left soon enough.

All too quickly, five months had passed by and the femme was getting very antsy about it. She took every chance she could to interface with Optimus, knowing that she would never do it again. In the beginning, he didn't mind. He just thought it was from all the events that had happened within the past year. But after the interfacing had gotten to an almost desperate level… then he was worried. Pit, they weren't even leaving the room anymore!

"Optimus, come on, please?" Nova begged, wrapping her arms around him.

"Nova, please stop, there is something wrong going on with you. It is not healthy," he returned, taking her arms off and sitting her on the bed.

"Nothing is wrong, just please, come here," she tried again, crawling on top of him.

"No, this is not the time for this," he said, clearly beginning to fear for her sanity.

"Yes, it is. There's no better time than now," Nova said with a longing tone. It seemed as if she was about to cry any second.

"Look, can we not just do this tomorrow? I promise I will be right here, waiting for you."

"Optimus, I don't have tomorrow!"

"What has gotten into you? You're acting as if the world is going to end soon! Nova we have all the time we could possibly want," he reasoned, holding her forearms.

"Well I only have a month!" she finally yelled, staring at him with watery optics. A whimper escaped as Nova began to cry silently.

Optimus had been staring back at her, completely dumbfounded. What was she trying to say to him? As Nova began to hunch over, he wrapped his arms around her, trying to sooth away the pain that now filled the bond.

"What-what are you saying?" he finally asked, nudging her face so he could look at her.

"I-I only have… a month to live," Nova croaked, hiccupping a little.

"What? How did this happen?" Optimus' grip tightened. If a crack was heard, that would've been his spark shattering. Who was responsible for this? He'd kill them in the cruelest way possible. No amount of Prime patience would be present when he faced the menace that was threatening his sparkmate.

"The-the poison. Ratchet couldn't get it all out in time. It's been slowly killing me." Nova quickly regretted not telling him sooner. She really should've. "I'm-I'm so sorry that I didn't tell you. I just thought that if I pretended it wasn't real, it would just go away. I was so wrong."

"Don't be sorry, I get it. I just wish I could do something about this," Optimus breathed, now understanding why she acted the way she had for the past few months.

"It-it hurts, Optimus. It hurts so much," she whimpered.

"Do you need Ratchet to—"

"No, it hurts my spark… to even know that I'm going to leave everyone in the worst possible way."

"The worst possible way would be if you bonded with Megatron and became his queen," Optimus mused, trying to lighten her grief.

"At least you'd know that I was still alive," she added bitterly.

"But I would never have been able to call you _my_ queen. I would never have been able to hold you like this. I would never have those four glorious sparklings you've given me," he mumbled into her helm.

"You're a sap, you know that," she laughed silently, shying away from his ticklish kisses.

"Whatever you say."

No one else was warned of Nova's "condition" even though Optimus thought it would be important information for the others to know. The rest of the days flew by horribly fast.

Barricade took this time to talk to Nova about something that had been bugging his mind. They were alone outside. The sun was setting and they were sparring lightly.

"Nova, you know how you asked me to go back to Megatron?"

"Yeah?" she grunted when she had to dodge a close call.

"Look, I know you think he just used you but the Megatron I know really cares for you. He wouldn't just say something like that without a good reason." He landed a soft hit on the back of her leg, forcing her to lose that round.

"Well, I'm not sure about that. I kind of don't remember, you know," she said sarcastically, starting a new round.

"You don't understand. I _know_ him. I know the real Megatron and I know you know the real him, too. He lied for your safety, I can feel it. He didn't do all those things just to crush your spirit. He really stuck his neck out for you," Barricade explained, blocking her slow movements lightly.

"Well, it's too late now. I've got two weeks…" The second those words escaped her lip plates, Nova stopped fighting, dropping her arms.

Barricade saw her moment of weakness. Trying to keep things in a lighter mood, he executed one of her signature moves that she used to always use on him. It wasn't like they were actually hurting each other, they were more like going through the motions.

Nova saw what he was doing and laughed as he "killed" her. As ironic as that might sound, she thought it was funny.

"You know what? If Megatron is as soft as you claim, when you see him again, tell him I died. I'll be up there in the Well of All Sparks watching you. I promise. I'll see whether or not he lied to me," she offered, going through one of Barricade's signature moves before ending the session.

"Fine, femme. You're on. I'll be seeing you from here on Earth," he offered, biting back that yanking sadness that was building inside him. He liked seeing Nova like this. She was completely at peace with herself, something that he could never do. "Hey, you know, there are only a few days left. Don't you want to tell everyone? I mean, if I were in their position, I'd definitely want to know this."

"You think I should really tell them?" she asked skeptically. It was something that she debated with herself constantly.

"It's the right thing to do."

Nova thought for a few minutes, weighing the options. He was right, it was for the best.

"Okay, I'll tell them now. Come on," she uttered softly, sending a ping for everyone to meet her in the control room. She even contacted a few humans, the usual peanut gallery. An email was sent to Sam. As far as he was, they were still friends and he would want to know this. The only reason he knows about the sparklings in the first place is because Bee told him.

Besides, she had told him once before that there will come a time when she wouldn't be there to help him see the light through the darkness that surrounded him. Now was that time.

It was a slow day so everyone had a minute to come to the control room. Once all were present and accounted for, Nova began the somber news.

"You're all probably wondering why I've asked you to come here. There is some very important news that I feel all have the right to know." She took a small pause to compose herself. "In two weeks… I'm going to die."

An uproar started the second those words left her throat. Some anger was in there but it was short lived. The gist of the whole overlapping voices were concerned "Why's?" and "How's?" Nova waited patiently until everyone was quiet.

"To answer your questions, I've been slowly dying for months now and as my friends and trusted family, I felt that you needed to hear this before it was too late. It started when the 'Cons attacked the base and Starscream had injected something unknowingly fatal into my system." The room remained quiet from the thoughts each were having. It was interrupted by a loud bang.

Sunstreaker had kicked over a human-sized console and wheeled angrily out of the room. Sideswipe was about to go after him when Nova stopped the mech.

"I'll handle it," she spoke silently.

Sunstreaker dropped himself against the outside walls of the base, angry at the world. He just began to feel happy again. Why was this happening now?

"Hey, wanna talk?" Nova asked, careful not to agitate him too much.

"Yeah… I want to talk," he started angrily. "Why the frag didn't you tell us sooner?" he almost shouted. The mech didn't know where to place the anger but he knew it needed to placed somewhere. "What happened to all that family slag you've been telling me about every day? I thought we were supposed to stick together! Take on the universe with only each other to support us. What happened to that?"

"I never lied to you, Sunstreaker. We're still a family and we're going to get through this together. I might not be with you physically but you know I'm still there in your spark, helping you get through life one step at a time." He didn't respond to her. Instead, he faced the other way, biting back the pain. Nova sat next to him, looking straight ahead at the dimming sky.

"All my life, I've been trying to help you grow into a great mech. Now it's time for you to show me how wonderful you really are. Make me believe that all those lessons I've taught you were not in vain," she uttered calmly, resting her helm on his shoulder.

"Why do you have to go?" he asked almost pathetically. Sunstreaker sounded like a distressed sparkling but this is how he felt. The only one he looked up to besides his brother was leaving. Strength was hard to find at a time like this.

"I don't know, Sunny. I've asked Primus that over and over again. He just won't answer me. All I can do is go along with it. It's my time, Sunny… and all I want you to do is remember that I love you. And that you need to be there for Bee. He needs you two more than you think," Nova whispered, letting the air cleanse her system.

"Whatever it takes," he spoke so quietly it felt like a loud thought. Subconsciously, that became his new goal in life. Nova's name would not go down in vain because of him.

* * *

><p>Nova's last few days were spent with practically just her family. Not only Optimus and the kids but Bumblebee and Jetfire as well. Bumblebee was sent back to the base after N.E.S.T. decided Sam was safe again. They didn't take her departure too well but that was normal. Sides and Sunny was with her a few times, doing a few pranks as Nova's last hurrah.<p>

The base was sprinkled with depression as the days crept by. Any smile that materialized was obviously fake. The only ones who were living life normally were those who didn't know Nova or never got close enough to the 'Bots to even get the gravity of what was happening.

Optimus and Nova were in their room, talking aimlessly with each other. The femme suggested that they swap memories, an innocent ritual that was one of the most intimate things a bonded pair could do.

Each wrist cord was attached to the back of the others' helm, lip plates attached to the one across from it.

Nova went first, sifting through the many memories Optimus contained. A file sparked her interest and she felt him jerk backwards a little when she went to look at it.

"What's wrong?" she murmured on his lips, reaching for the file.

"It may or may not change the way you see me," he whispered back sheepishly. This particular memory was embarrassing to him but nothing the Prime couldn't handle.

"Please? For me?" Nova asked, giggling through the kiss. She was granted access and watched the memory.

* * *

><p>They were on Cybertron, during the early vorns of the war. Optimus was debating on whether or not to move the new femme under his jurisdiction. It would be a selfish move but they also needed her. There were so many holes in the employment section and this one 'Bot could easily fill them all.<p>

He was nervously walking around the common area where his ship and the femmes' ship were docked. There was a need to refuel and it just so happened to be that they refueled at the same dock.

There was a sound of clangs and clunks coming from one direction and he headed that way to assess the damage. He saw a femme bending over the fence to reach something. She was in such a position that she was balancing by her abdomen and only half her body was visible from his viewpoint. Her bottom half.

"Do you need any assistance?" he asked, scaring her from her position. She fell on her aft with a yelp. "My apologies," he quickly said when he saw who it was, "Nova."

"No, it's all right," she said, dusting herself off. The femme took a quick look at who had frightened the very being out of her and a smile crept onto her face. "Hey, I remember you. Optimus Prime, right? The one who bravely rescued me from the abandoned warehouse." Nova remembered him all right, who couldn't forget such a hot piece of metal?

"Yes, of course," he said awkwardly, helping her to her feet. She was tall, almost as tall as him. That was a first. Instead of gawking at her beauty, he averted his optics in order not to look creepy. "W-what was it you were trying to find," he hastily changed the topic with.

"I dropped a few maintenance supplies on the other side. Our commander is really giving me a tough time, it's not even funny. You can tell she has it out for me. I just don't know why," Nova thought, watching as Optimus unlocked the fence with his key and grabbed the supplies.

"Who is your commander?" he asked, wanting to know who he needed to talk to in order to place Nova under his command. He wouldn't be making her do such menial labor like this.

"Elita-1. Why? You're not going to tell her I said that about her, are you?" she asked, suddenly very worried.

"No, not at all." Optimus cringed at the name of his ex-mate. This was going to be very awkward now that he had to talk to _her_. _Stop fretting, mech. What happened passed a long time ago. Just be civil with Elita._ "I just wanted to know who to talk to regarding your position." He instantly regretted saying those words.

"What about my position?"

"Well, I was just wondering if you would rather work under me instead. We—um—need your talents." He saved himself with that one.

"I have talents? Well, okay, sure. I hope she doesn't hurt you when you talk to her. Elita's been very grumpy lately." With that, Nova left him. He watched her saunter away, taking in her entire form.

"So Boss 'Bot does have a crush on the new femme," Ironhide spoke, coming out of nowhere.

"It's a good thing you do, I need help in the med bay and I've heard she's got a magic touch," Ratchet said from the other side, accompanying Ironhide.

"Please, this is strictly business," Prime tried, failing to hide his true feelings from his friends.

"You can't lie to us, Optimus. We know you too well," Hide chuckled, playfully punching his arm.

"Our Prime is in love."

* * *

><p>Nova gave a small laugh after the memory played. This was cute and so innocently childish of him.<p>

"You really felt that way? That's why I was moved?" she asked him, looking up at his optics. Their foreheads were touching as well as their noses.

"Truthfully, yes. It was not my most dignified moment but you can't blame me, right?" he asked, nipping at her neck.

"Don't worry, I completely understand," she giggled.

"Okay, my turn," he said, flipping through her many, broken files. Half of her memories were fuzzy and distorted while the other half remained perfectly clean. It was spark-breaking to see such a mess but pity wouldn't help anything.

A single file revealed itself amongst the others. He selected it before Nova could say anything about it.

* * *

><p>"So, is an Announcement anything like a wedding?" Mizuki asked, sitting on Nova's desk along with Mikaela.<p>

"You could say that. But to be honest, I'd rather have a wedding than an Announcement," Nova answered, grabbing a piece of chocolate from the box in the middle of the three girls.

"Why?" Mikaela asked, taking a bite out of one piece of chocolate before scrunching her face and throwing it back in the box.

"An Announcement is more like a reception. The wedding is an honest declaration of love… and it has a reception right after. So it's like the entire package," she reasoned, eating the half that Mikaela threw in. Chocolate was not meant to be wasted.

"What's your dream wedding going to be like, then?" Mizuki asked, daydreaming about her own future.

"Well, I want it to be simple and outdoors, that's for sure. Pale, pink lilies and lavender hibiscuses would be everywhere. I just absolutely love those flowers," she hummed, sighing at the end of her sentence.

"I'd rather have a wedding in a small chapel. I don't want it to be big but I want it to be something everyone will remember. The reception is probably going to be at someone's house. Whoever has a lot of space," Mikaela answered.

"Oh, come on. Don't you guys want a fairytale wedding?" Mizuki chimed, popping in a minty chocolate. "Think about it, a large church with stain glass windows everywhere. Different varieties of soft-colored flowers. A huge, white dress that has a simple top but a full bottom. Then a rocking reception at a club."

"You really know how to dream," Nova laughed, amazed by the power of the imagination.

"Now only if you can find a man willing to propose and has money to pay for all of that," Mikaela added, nudging her with a shoulder.

"Hence the term 'fairytale.'"

"Hence the term 'broke,'" Nova kidded. After they all had a good round of laughing, they sobered a little, going back to the chocolate in the middle.

"So, _do_ you want to have a wedding, Nova?" Mikaela asked, wondering how that would work.

"That'd be nice, but I want to be bonded first. Tradition, you know? And we all know how long that's going to take," she groaned. Nova began to think, if she wasn't really a human, would a wedding matter? It's not like she needs a piece of paper telling her who she loved. Then again, it was always nice to try something new.

Marriage was now officially on the list of to dos. If only there was more time…

* * *

><p><em>That's it for this chapter. Last one is some other time. I didn't want to have to do this but since it is obviously in need of a recall, <strong>4 reviews telling me your reaction to this. <strong>I feel horrible putting a price on chapters after having the ending so close but your input is extremely important to me. You don't need too much detail just tell me what you liked, didn't like, and what pulled your heart strings. Simple._

_**~Replies~**_

_**DarkAngelMel2: **Barricade thanks you for your trust and support for, as you can tell, he's going through a rough time with both the Autobots and Nova. I have so many plans for Aiden as he grows to be the leader that Primus destined him to be (but that's another story ;)) I apologize for bringing Screamer into this mess and I'm sorry for killing the last sparkling but it needed to be done! I promise! You are very right, everyone is more or less broken right now. Pretty, pretty, please don't hunt me down with Megsy! For you see, I am a squishy and old Mega-butt is not squishy. You can see how physics really applies itself here. You should really be hunting Starscream (P.S. He's hiding behind the box over there!). I appreciate your reviews and they have helped me incredibly much so during my story. Without you, I would still be writing at the same level I was writing at when Behind the Story first came into this world. Because of you, I have become a better writer (hopefully)._

_**Dreaming Out Loud since '98: **Actually, Barricade is the one that transformed into a police car in the first movie. He was the 'Con that Bumblebee was first fighting against. That's why they kind of hate each other._

_**BlackHawk98: **I'm sorry, but I must do what any author in my position must do. Even though this is just a story, I'm glad you can feel for it enough to have strong emotions about it (that just means I'm getting better at writing and that you have good taste in authors ;)).  
><em>

_**~Don't be a stranger ;D**  
><em>


	27. Goodbye

_Wow, I honestly was not expecting such a rapid response. You guys are amazings! This next (and last) chapter is really a tear-jerker. Thing is, I really don't know which parts jerked your tears the most. I want to be able to write something that can really make you guys feel the extreme emotion. It would be cool if you told me which parts made you tear up or which parts made you straight-up cry (by cry I mean that a tear fell out of your looking holes without force)._

_I hope you like it and please don't hunt me down and kill me for this._

* * *

><p>Her very last day came all too soon. She woke up early, planting a kiss on Optimus' lips and on each of her children's foreheads as they slept. Nova strode out onto the beach, the sky turning a pale orange. She let the winds caress her armor as she sat there on the sand, thinking about what she's accomplished in her life. A sparkmate, children, the trust of all that she was proud to call her friends, and she learned the truth of her life. The things she had questions to, all were answered. Except one.<p>

"Primus, if you can hear me right now… Why are you doing this to me?" she quivered, staring through the sky. "Why did you take my last child and the last of my life? What have I done that's upset you so much? Please, I'll do anything to stay here on this planet with my family. Anything to stop the pain that I know is in Optimus' spark. The pain that will be implanted in my still-growing children. The pain that my friends are going to feel." A tear dropped onto her leg as she took a wavering breath. "I can't have all of them to stop and mourn over me. And, goodness, Bumblebee… This-this is going to be torture for that youngling. I'm never going to see him grow up into the strong mech I know he's going to be. Primus… why do you want to torture them? Why do you want to torture me?"

As if in order to end all these questions, a barbaric spike of hurt tore through Nova's spark, sending her mind to spiral around bright stars that colored her vision. A hearty scream ripped through her vocals and she stumbled forward, on her hands and knees. Another spike pulsed through her and black spots danced around her processor.

Finding it very hard to breath, she collapsed, gasping for air. Heavy footsteps on the sand could be heard as she felt herself being picked up. Everything was echoed and muffled, including her vision. Someone was carrying her. Someone thought they could save her. Someone was wrong.

Her life could not be saved, no matter what anyone thought. She let the words flutter out of her mouth before succumbing to the darkness.

"Goodbye."

Nova was rushed to the med bay and hooked up to multiple different machines. The sporadic beeping did nothing to calm Ratchet's spark. She was hanging by a thread and this time, he did not want to fail her. With every piece of medical knowledge he had, Ratchet went to work.

But for some reason, every move forward was two steps back when he tried. Nothing was working and he was getting ready to break down and yell at Primus for doing this. His digits were fidgety, as well as his chassis. After all his attempts had failed, he collapsed. Leaning against the cart adjacent of the berth, Ratchet cried.

If anyone asked, he wouldn't lie. There was no shame in those tears. He pounded a hand to his forehead lightly, as if it would help him fix everything. _She can't die, not on my watch, not in my hands, not in my med bay, _he thought stubbornly. In a last-minute effort, he stood up and looked at her.

He glanced at his hands and willed them to do something. But nothing happened. An idea floated in his processor but as he tried to carry it out, his digits began to quiver to an unhealthy level. They couldn't even hold his tools correctly.

"Stop it!" he scolded them, more tears leaking out. "I can't fix her when you do that!" he yelled again, banging them lightly on the berth to try and stop them. No amount of medical practice could prepare him for this.

"Ratchet, stop, please," Jolt spoke up, calmly taking his mentor's hands.

"No, she's going to die if I can't fragging fix her!" he hollered, trying to rip his servos from Jolt's grip.

"Ratchet," he spoke firmly, "she's gone. You can't fix everyone, it's okay."

"It's not okay! She's too young, too innocent to die. I've let too many slip through my fingers, there's no way in Pit I'm gonna let her go, too!" Ratchet yelled hysterically. He suddenly went limp and just couldn't fight anymore.

"Wheeljack, take him outside, I'll handle this," Jolt said, leading Ratchet to Wheeljack.

"Let it all out, Ratch. Ol' Jack is right here to listen," the inventor said as they exited the room.

"I've seen a lot of deaths in my day, Jack. Most of them were right in front of me. I feared that this would be a result," he confided softly.

"What are you talking about?" Wheeljack asked hesitantly.

"I'm going crazy, Jack. This is too much pressure on my systems. I just witnessed the closest thing I had to a daughter die. Tell me how you would react if you were me," he mumbled with hitched breathing. He couldn't be a medic anymore. The pain was just too much.

"I'll tell you what I wouldn't do. I wouldn't be doing this, right here. Do you really think that's what _she_ would have wanted? Nova didn't spend a lifetime with you just to end up you going insane. Take what she's taught you and use it," Wheeljack comforted, listening to his own advice. She taught him so many things just by being alive, and how to calm someone down was one of them.

What seemed like an eternity turned out to be just a couple hours. Optimus was already in the room so he could live out the last of his sparkmate's depleting life with her. The children came with but only because no one would stop them.

Jolt had let Nova rest in peace, not wanting to play out a lie. She was gone and that was that. Not one thing in the entire world would make the mech who was currently hunched over in grief believe otherwise.

_Beep… Beep… Beep… _

A miracle happened in that med bay. Nova opened her optics.

She saw Optimus sitting next to her in a grieving position. Her hand was in his. Their children were crowded around him, all wanting to see what happened.

"Optimus, don't worry about me," Nova whispered.

He snapped up, joy taking over his feelings. The leader gently hugged the limp femme, whispering something in the language of the Prime's. Whatever it was, it sounded sweet. Was Primus finally smiling upon them? Was whatever lesson he wanted to teach over?

"No… don't celebrate. Don't get your hopes up," she rasped from underneath him.

"What are you talking about? You are fine, you are all right. You are alive," he stated, sounding like he only said that to make himself feel better.

"No, I don't know what Ratchet did, but I know it won't last forever. I _have _to go. It's the only way."

"Only way to what?" he asked, sounding very desperate for her to stay online. Already the spark monitor was slowing down. The strange noises of the med bay were all obviously coming to a stop once more.

Jolt was well aware of what was happening. Primus must've given her a second wind albeit temporarily. She was already technically dead for a while. This must be some sort of closure.

"He-he wouldn't tell me. Primus, doesn't want me to know just yet. But it's important, I can feel it. I want you to promise me that you'll be strong. You have so many people looking up to you, they're going to look to you for help on how to deal with this. I want you to be the role model and show them that it's okay that I'm gone. Just remember what you've learned from me is all I ask. It's okay if I'm just a memory, as long as I am a memory that makes a difference," she said weakly, feeling that the time was near.

"No, please don not talk like this. You will be fine, Ratchet can fix you. We will be together again. Just our family. I will end this despicable war. I will never lose you. Never again, I promise. I will never lose you," Optimus offered unsteadily, watching his other half fade away.

"Optimus, you just need to let go," Nova whispered. She looked to her children and gestured them towards her. "Guys, I want you to be strong, too, okay? When Mommy's not here, you have to help Daddy like I did, all right? And don't you ever be sad. If you're sad, just sing the song I taught you and you'll know that I'm up there in the Well of All Sparks watching over you."

All four of them nodded with a few sniffles.

"Can you sing it to us one more time?" Bonnie asked, tapping on Nova's shoulder.

"Of course, dearspark." Nova tapped the noses of each child gently as she went through the chorus of the song.

"There's only 1 thing 2 do, those 3 words 4 you…" Before finishing the lines, she looked to Optimus with so much love in her spark that it could crush her under the weight. Her optics said it all, even if she didn't say it out loud. Their bond filled itself to the brim with passion one last time before fading away to its cold demise.

_I love you._

The monitors stopped beeping, the blips stopped pulsing, Nova's optics dimmed, and the grip of her hand went limp in Optimus'.

"Mommy? Mommy?" Bonnie asked, shaking her lightly as if she'd wake up. "Daddy, how come Mommy's not waking up? She can't go to sleep yet, it's still morning." The child was crying through her words. She wanted to believe so badly that her mother was only sleeping, that this was just a big joke.

"Bonnie, she's gone," Optimus said softly waiting for the excruciating pain to take over his spark. Ratchet came into the room, knowing that Optimus wouldn't want the kids to see him writhe in pain.

Wheeljack's pep talk worked and he felt saner than he was a couple hours ago. But that still didn't stop the grief.

"Go on, Prime. I'll watch them," he said quietly.

"Ratchet, she's just kidding, right? Mommy's going to wake up, right?" Bonnie asked, tears streaming down her face.

"Bonnie, it's okay. Lala is in the Well of All Sparks. She in a safe place now," Aiden said, comforting his sister.

"Lala, why you sheeping?" a young Light Wing asked, unaware of what was really happening. She and Aileron were only one year old but their comprehension level was at least akin to a three year old human child even though their skills mirrored that of a two year old.

"Wing, wake her up," Aileron said, pushing his twin onto the berth.

"Light Wing, Aileron, your lalaith can't be woken up. She's with Primus now," Ratchet spoke, his spark breaking with every second he had to look at their depressed faces.

"No! Mommy can't leave!" Bonnie erupted. "She has to see me go to school! She still has to help me grow up to be like her!" The pale red femme rushed out of the room, pushing through Ratchet and the others. She didn't know where she was going, she just knew that she didn't want to see anyone.

"Bonnie, wait!" Ratchet started.

"No, let her go. She needs time to herself," Aiden said, pulling on his leg to stop the larger mech from leaving. "Right now, you need to take those two out of here," he reminded, gesturing to the weeping twins.

"Of course, you're right," the medic uttered, flustered with the events that took place.

Aiden was taking this pretty well. Even though his spark longed for his lalaith to be back with them, he knew that Primus needed his mother for a good reason. Everything always happens for a reason, that's what Nova had told him. That's what he had learned.

* * *

><p>Sideswipe found Bonnie crying behind a stack of crates. He didn't know what happened to her. He didn't know that she just experienced a life changing event. He didn't know that the closest thing he had to a sister was gone. All he knew was that this little femme should be happy.<p>

"Bonnie, what's wrong?" he asked, wheeling over to kneel beside her.

"Go away, I don't wanna talk about it," she muffled through her arms. The red of her armor shined from the sun that was peeking through the hangar door.

"Come on, it's me, Sides, your buddy. Tell me what's wrong," he said in a soft yet cheery way. That mech couldn't stand to have her like this.

"Mommy died," Bonnie spat, wrapping herself tighter.

"W-what?" was all he could say. Sides looked as if he were struck by a servo when he heard what she said. It felt surreal. This couldn't be happening… it's too soon.

"Primus took her away from me."

The mech knew that now was not the time to grieve over Nova, Bonnie needed as much help as possible.

"Hey, hey, do you want your mother to see you like this? She's up there looking at you, Bonnie. She doesn't want you to be sad. She wants you to be happy."

"What am I supposed to be happy about?" she wailed, burying herself into the corner that was created by the crates.

"She wants you to be happy that you have your friends here, that you have your siblings with you, and that you still have your adair. Bonnie, there are so many 'Bots who are still here with you and I know that Nova would want you to be thankful that she brought you into this world so you could meet all of us, right?" he reasoned in a gentle manner, watching as Bonnie let up on the crying.

"Yeah, you're right," she finally said, wiping the tears away.

"Look, handling someone's death isn't easy, but we'll help each other, okay? Because as awesome as I am, I get sad sometimes, too," he confided, scooping the sparkling in his arms and cradling her.

"Okay, I'll help you."

* * *

><p>After the excruciating pain his spark went through, Optimus stumbled out of his quarters, not knowing how to handle the world. His most trusted advisor, his other half, his devil's advocate, the lalaith of his children… his best friend, gone.<p>

Prime stood tall and knew what had to be done. Well, almost. He took his children and let them go about the rest of their day. He also told Prowl to take care of business for a while so that he had time alone with his thoughts.

It turned out that that time was a little under a week. Optimus was more or less determined to rust in his room, moping for the rest of his days. By then, everyone knew about the loss and they were planning a funeral. Of course, since Optimus was basically a lifeless drone now, the plans were slightly postponed.

A knock at his door snapped the Prime from his brooding. He didn't open the door, instead he just sat there, pretending to be asleep and wishing that he were dead.

"Prime, I know you're in there. Get out, I have something for you," Sunstreaker spoke gruffly. He didn't take Nova's disappearance lightly. In short, a few of the trees out in the nearby forest were now butchered by his wrath. When Optimus wouldn't come out, Sunny groaned and knocked again.

"Look, I know you're in there. I really think you're going to want to see this… It's from Nova."

Those words woke up the Prime and pulled him back to reality. Sluggishly, Optimus made his way to the door and followed the smaller mech to a hangar.

"She talked to me about something a couple years back, something about repaying you for all the slag she's put you through. It took a while and we needed help from Ironhide and Leadfoot, but it's finally complete," Sunstreaker explained, turning the appropriate corners to reach the destination.

"What is complete?" Those were probably the first words Prime has spoken in a long time.

"You'll see." They entered an empty hangar and inside was a large, silver trailer that would fit well onto Optimus' alt-mode.

"What's this?"

"Nova's idea," Sunstreaker scoffed, "She always thought you looked a little… lopsided in your alt-mode. A few years ago, she came to me and asked if I could help her make this. It's not an ordinary trailer. I think she wrote you a note." The yellow mech left his leader alone in the hangar to contemplate on this gift.

Prime shifted down to his alt-mode and popped out his holoform, looking for the note. He found it taped to the trailer. Should he read it? Would he feel even emptier after finding out what her final words were? What if he lost her forever because of what she wrote in there?

Regardless of what he was thinking, curiosity got the better of him.

_Dear Optimus,  
>I realize that if you're reading this, that means I have passed away.<br>I probably will have told you this already, but please listen to me  
>you must be strong. For our children, for your soldiers… for me.<br>I know that it is hard and I know that you're going to want to run  
>away from the world but don't. Show me the Prime I know you are.<br>I want to be up in the Well of All Sparks watching you be the strongest  
>Prime you could be. Be the mech who always said he'd protect me<br>from all the dangers that came. Be there for our children. They're  
>looking up to you, so show them what to do at a time like this. I know<br>we had plans and I know that we wanted a life together, but a mech  
>once told me that at least I could hold you like I did, at least I could<br>give you those four beautiful children. During my lifetime, I couldn't do  
>slag to protect myself, no matter what I did. I mean, look where I am now.<br>So, hopefully, you could do better. This trailer was made with  
>Cybertronian technology. It transforms when you do. Ironhide had fun<br>making this, let me tell you that. You'll see what it does soon enough.  
>Tell the kids I love them and I love you, too. More than words can<br>express. If I become nothing but a memory, then remember this. Be  
>strong. And don't be sad. You've done your job. I'm safer now than I have<br>ever been. You can get through this. I love you.  
>~Nova<em>

The paper was stained with a few drops of dried tears that Optimus concluded belonged to Nova. A few of his were mixed in there as well. But this letter was a huge wake up call. Gone was the bum who did nothing but mope, the old Prime replaced him. The one who lead the Autobots through victory after victory. The road to recovery wouldn't be easy, but it was necessary.

* * *

><p>Barricade was sent off to go on his mission shortly after Nova had passed away. He was now under the trust of Megatron once more. He made some cover story about how he was lost in the horrible pits of Earth. Barricade had to beat himself up a little in order to make it seem legit.<p>

He planned on accomplishing only one thing during his mission. Sure, he was a double agent, but that task paled in comparison to the one he set out to do.

Cade found Megatron on his throne. They were hiding somewhere out in the in the African plains. He approached his "leader" carefully, kneeling before him.

"What is it you want, Barricade?" Megatron spat angrily at the lowlife in front of him.

"I have seen Nova." That was all he needed to say in order for Megatron's façade to melt.

They promised to forget, but Megatron was a 'Con, all he does is lie. To him, she was still the one good thing he's accomplished in life.

"What about her?" he asked when the 'Con regained his grumpy composure.

Barricade quickly looked to the heavens, knowing that she was watching fondly over him. Even though she's gone, he's still going to prove her wrong. Cade didn't know what it was but for some reason, he felt that she was never gone, that she could never leave. Nova said it herself, she'll be up there watching him.

That's why he felt so confident now. He knows that she really is there for him to talk to.

"She died."

Megatron was thrown aback from the news. His optics widened slightly as his spark nearly stopped. His only good deed… dead.

"She… she's gone?" His face scrunched up in anger. "Who did this? I sent no one out to attack their stupid base," he growled. Whoever was responsible was going to pay a hefty price. No matter who it was, they will scream in agony for what they've done.

"You can thank Starscream for that," Barricade added almost merrily.

A primal roar ripped through the silence of that barren area. An energon-thirsty 'Con rampaged through the night, looking for Starscream in order to rip him to shreds. His one and only reason for doing anything good for the world was gone. No longer present was the Megatron that held back his kindness just to fake his way through life. Whatever anger was represented through him was pure rage now. Extreme fury. The Autobots would pay for being so weak. For being the ones to let her die. Now, Megatron would plan something, something to break everyone he saw.

Barricade looked up to the night sky, smiling warmly to the femme he knew was there.

"I told you he loved you. But now I think he's going to kill your friends because of it. Good going, Nova. You're not here yet you manage to screw so many things up. Not even death can change you," he chuckled. Barricade thought for a while, sighing away his worries. "How am I going to calm him down, Nova?"

As if some sort of answer, a star twinkled and he could see through his highly sensitive optics that the star brightened before extinguishing. That star went through a nova. A super nova.

He knew what to do know.

All Barricade had to do was tell Megatron to remember the lessons Nova had taught them. If Megatron could remember, her death will never be in vain.

* * *

><p>Back at the Autobot base, a week or two after their loss, a glistening, metallic body was placed in a traditional, satin-covered coffin. It was specially made for this occasion and Optimus would have it no other way. It was placed at the front of one hangar where 'Bots and humans alike were there to pay respects. The prayers had been said so that just left Prime to stand there, mourning the loss. His sparkmate, half of his entire being, was gone. She looked so beautiful and at peace in that coffin. The whole world could have just walked past her and seen a glorious femme who had a peaceful life without a scratch on her armor.<p>

Only very few knew the reality.

Nova never had a peaceful life. Nor did she live without bruises and scars. Sure she had peaceful moments, but that paled in comparison to the hectic situations she was always in. From the very day she was born, things became crazy. But he knew, Optimus knew, that she loved her crazy, messed up life. He knew how much she enjoyed spending it with him and their children, no matter the odds.

In fact, he knew everything. Just before her dying breath, Nova gave him the one thing she held very close and very near to her. This one possession was held higher than any other possession in the world, and she gave it to him.

Her memories.

Every single one. Some of them hurt Optimus while the others comforted him. She gave him those memories to help him through life. So that whenever he was going through a tough time, he could just pick a memory and relive it.

Her epitaph was going to be an obvious one because it reflected everything she's ever been through. It was a quote that Optimus had said once upon a time.

"There is a thin line of being a hero and being a memory."

* * *

><p><em>Sniffle, sniffle. That was a melancholy ending but there it is. The end. I will respond to reviews from this chapter via the responding thingy so if you review under an alias or you're not logged in, I cannot reply. <strong>Please review this chapter especially because I need emotional feedback!<strong>_

_**Special News for the Future:  
><strong>__Thank you all so much for your support. This story is both the longest and the most responded to story I've ever had. I will not write a new story arc for DotM until I have finished refurbishing my old stories for I want them to be better than their current state. This should rarely happen (but if it does) I will tell you guys in an update if any previous information you know has changed. For example, if for some reason I go through my previous stories and make it so Bumblebee and Nova aren't siblings, I'll tell you by posting a chapter in the story Just an Average Day of an Alien which contains only one shots and no actual story arcs . Don't worry, none of the info changes will be that severe but you get the point. You all should know that if you have ever reviewed at least once on any of my work, that means you have contributed to making me a better writer. Also, you have made me very happy on that day you reviewed. I love you all and see you in the next story (whenever it may come out). **Make sure to set me to your Author Alerts so you know when a new story comes out!**_

_**~Replies~**_

_**TheUltimateSacrifice: **First, yes I do have a little voice inside my head. It's the same voice that told me to kill—I mean "write off" Nova. Sadly, as slippery as she may be, Nova could not get herself out of this one :(. Thank you so much for your input. I never really knew that those traits of my stories actually stood out to anyone. It means so much to me (no joke) that you reviewed and that you reviewed so beautifully as well. _

_**Xireana Prime: **I think everyone is secretly wishing she would somehow get out of this trap. Sadly, not even Nova can escape fate. To be honest, I've been writing happy endings on everything and I just wanted to see how the other half lives, you know? What it would feel like or what people will think when I write a sad ending, though I could hardly call most of this sad. More like somber really. It was fun and all but it won't be a regular thing. Besides, chin up, there's at least one more story to look forward to (DotM!)._

_**a Wiccan: **... Oh a Wiccan. Thanks for your review and as short as it appears (two words lol) it actually helped me a lot. I'm not kidding you, it really did, so thanks again!_

_**Dreaming Out Loud since '98: **Oh gosh, that is some emotion right there. Don't hate your life! Hate Starscream and his Dorito-like ways! As you can see, I have briefly summarized what happened to the sparklings, OP, and Bee though there WILL be another story that will explain that further (the DotM story arc). Sadly, it will not come out for a long time. Thanks for the input and your support throughout the entire thing. Hope your side of the world stays sane as you may or may not go on a rampage trying to hunt me down and torture me for killing Nova (if Bay can do it, why not me?). _

_**kellyviolinthebest: **Thanks so much for your input. I wouldn't have realized that many people picked up the Sunstreaker thing until you oh so graciously reviewed it. I'm glad you think his reaction was appropriate and well written. Believe me when I say that I thought people would actually just overlook it as one of my writing flubs._

_**DarkAngelMel2: **Sweetie, your review was anything but short (for that, I am grateful). I don't want to sound mean or anything but I'm glad I made you sad. By that I mean that I'm glad my writing has connected to you at such a level that emotion can be plucked from your heart just like that. I apologize for being so mean and cruel but it just needed to be (if you can understand that in any way).  
><em>

_**~Don't be a stranger ;D**  
><em>


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